Why Tottenham fans should be excited about Rodrigo Bentancur's impending return
Tottenham's hopes of a top-four finish last season fell apart when Rodrigo Bentancur crumbled to the King Power Stadium turf. The Uruguayan was forced off midway through the second half on the way to Spurs' eventual 4-1 loss at Leicester back in February. A miserable afternoon was compounded by confirmation Bentancur would undergo ACL surgery and he hasn't been seen in a Spurs shirt since.
In the second half of a turgid 2022/23 campaign, Spurs struggled without one of their player of the season candidates in the middle of the park, an award understandably won by Harry Kane. However, it was only Kane (7.51) who earned a better WhoScored rating than Bentancur (7.22) of all Spurs players in England's top tier last term and when his campaign was prematurely cut short, there was a collective agreement that the north London side would struggle.
The fears of fans came to pass as Spurs ultimately finished eighth and out of the European spots. Managerial uncertainty didn't aid the club of course, but without their driving force in midfield; Spurs' form suffered. Indeed, their win ratio dropped from 61.1% to 35% in the games Bentancur didn't feature in and while there are other mitigating circumstances to explain such a sheer drop, the Uruguayan's absence certainly contributed towards that decline.
Now, though, Bentancur is closing in on a return to fitness. "Bentancur is now back in full training," the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick tweeted on Friday afternoon much to the delight of supporters. The 26-year-old is still a little way off a return to first team action but his impending availability is a boost for Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian is yet to use Bentancur in any capacity following his appointment earlier this year, yet Postecoglou must be excited at the prospect of calling upon the former Juventus man for the first time. Of course, Spurs haven't looked out of sorts without Bentancur this season. After eight games, they top the Premier League as one of two unbeaten teams in 2023/24. Pape Matar Sarr has forged a superb understanding with Yves Bissouma and James Maddison as Postecoglou's first choice central midfield trio, the youngster impressing in that number eight role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, in theory at least, this is a role that Bentancur will thrive in. He was solid alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in Antonio Conte's favoured 3-4-3 system prior to injury, as he worked hard defensively, chipping in with 2.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per 90, and drove forward well on the ball as noted by a return of 1.3 dribbles per 90. He has won possession in the midfield third 66 times since the start of last season, the fourth most for Spurs over the same period despite not registering a single Premier League minute since his injury at Leicester.
With an additional five goals and two assists to his name, Bentancur provides that additional goal threat from deep and while Sarr has excelled in the role; the former is certainly an upgrade on the latter, at least at present, in that midfield role. What will be notable is that Bentancur won't have to operate in a pair in the middle of the park but rather as part of a trio. This means that he won't be required to carry out the level of defensive duties supporters witnessed while alongside Hojbjerg last season, and can therefore focus his efforts on providing support in the final third.
With the exciting football Postecoglou has his Spurs side playing this season already, Bentancur should in theory slot in seamlessly. What's important to note too is that Bentancur's return to action in the period between now and the New Year gives him plenty of time to regain his match sharpness, and in January in particular, this will be vital. Both Sarr and Bissouma are expected to represent their respective nations Senegal and Mali at AFCON 2024, robbing Spurs of two vital cogs in the engine room at the turn of the year.
However, if Postecoglou can get Bentancur fit and firing on all cylinders before the pair jet off to the Ivory Coast then he'll have a more than capable stand in for Sarr to call upon in a key area of the pitch. Either way, for a Spurs side that has had their strength in depth called into question, Bentancur's recovery from his ACL injury is a huge boost for Postecoglou's side. Rediscover last season's form and he'll be a hugely important player for the Spurs boss.
