Crucial Tottenham star suffers ‘season-ending injury’ to leave Antonio Conte with major problem in one position
An important Tottenham player will be out for the rest of the season after picking up a serious injury during the 4-1 defeat to Leicester, according to reports.
Tottenham headed to the King Power on Saturday and were looking to build on the 1-0 victory over Manchester City they picked up six days earlier. However, they looked like a completely different team and were beaten convincingly by Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Rodrigo Bentancur put Tottenham ahead in the 14th minute. But goals from Nampalys Mendy, James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho put Leicester in the driving seat before half time.
And things got worse for the visitors after the break, with Harvey Barnes netting in the 81st minute to round off a dreadful Spurs day in the East Midlands.
Antonio Conte is already having to deal with several injuries. Hugo Lloris will not return to action until late March at the earliest after sustaining a knee problem, while Yves Bissouma while have to undergo surgery on an ankle issue. The midfielder’s return date is yet to emerge.
Plus, wing-back Ryan Sessegnon could miss up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.
But none of those problems are as big as the one facing Bentancur. According to The Guardian, the 25-year-old will be out for the remainder of the campaign after damaging his ACL against Leicester.
He will need ‘six or seven months to recover’, the report states. That means he will not return to Spurs training until August at the earliest.
Antonio Conte lacking midfield options after latest injury blow
With Bissouma already out, this leaves Conte short in the central midfield area. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will undoubtedly start in Spurs’ next game – which is against AC Milan on Tuesday night – if he is fit.
But who to play alongside him will be a bit of a problem. Spurs’ only other midfielders are Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr. Skipp has played in the Champions League just four times, while Sarr has never made an appearance in the competition.
Bentancur’s injury is even more disastrous for Spurs when you consider the impact he has had on the team this season. He has been one of their best performers this term and has also got among the goals. The Uruguay international has notched six goals and two assists in 26 matches.
Spurs will come up against an out-of-sorts Milan team on Tuesday, as the Rossoneri have won just once in their last eight games across all competitions. However, Spurs will not be at full strength either. Fraser Forster will likely play in goal amid Lloris’ absence, while the midfielder to play alongside Hojbjerg is uncertain.