Tottenham Hotspur's top-four hopes have been dealt a fresh blow with confirmation that midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will miss the rest of the season.
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Bentancur ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Spurs' 4-1 defeat at Leicester City on Saturday and will now undergo surgery.
The injury to Uruguay international Bentancur, who had given Spurs the lead against the Foxes, adds to a growing list of absentees for head coach Antonio Conte, who is himself recovering from gallbladder surgery.
PL stats with and without Bentancur
| 2022/23 | With Bentancur | Without Bentancur |
| Matches | 18 | 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Ave. goals for | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals against | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| Win percentage | 61.1% | 20.0% |
| Points/match | 1.9 | 1.0 |
The numbers in the table above highlight Bentancur's importance to Spurs, with their win percentage falling alarmingly without the midfielder, while they also score fewer goals.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is currently sidelined for "maybe the next six weeks" after he suffered a knee injury during their recent 1-0 win over Manchester City, while midfielder Yves Bissouma has undergone ankle surgery.
Weekend media reports also suggest that left-back Ryan Sessegnon could miss six weeks with a hamstring problem sustained in training last week, delivering another potential injury blow to Spurs.
Conte's side lie fifth in the table, two points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United, having played a match more.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +61 | 89 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +45 | 84 |
| 3 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
38 | +15 | 75 |
| 4 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +35 | 71 |
| 5 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
38 | +28 | 67 |
On a positive note, Cristian Romero will be back to bolster Spurs' defence for Sunday's home derby with West Ham United.
Romero missed the Leicester defeat following his sending-off in the win over Man City for two bookable offences.