Rodrigo Bentancur, a key player for Tottenham, has been suspended for seven games in domestic leagues and fined £100,000 for comments he made about South Korean people in June. Although Bentancur apologized to his teammate Son Heung-Min and publicly, the suspension will still take effect.
Tottenham’s manager, Ange Postecoglou, will have to adjust the lineup without the 27-year-old midfielder, who has played 15 games for Spurs this season, including a header against Ipswich Town in his last match. The ban means Bentancur will miss Tottenham’s domestic games until December 26, when they face Nottingham Forest. He will also miss the Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United on December 19 but can still play in the Europa League, with matches against AS Roma on November 28 and Hoffenheim on December 12.
This suspension means Tottenham needs to find a replacement for Bentancur, and with the team’s next match against Manchester City approaching, there is little time to decide. One possible replacement is James Maddison. Despite a dip in form recently, Maddison is the most likely option. He may not have the same defensive skills as Bentancur, but he is an excellent attacking midfielder. In the past year, Maddison has been among the best in creating chances, with over nine progressive passes per game, ranking in the 99th percentile for this statistic. He is also in the 91st percentile for shot-creating actions and the 90th percentile for assists per game. If Postecoglou wants a more attack-focused lineup against Manchester City, Maddison is the most suitable choice.
Another option is Yves Bissouma, who has been in good form and scored two goals this season. If Postecoglou wants a midfielder with similar defensive qualities to Bentancur, Bissouma, the captain of Mali’s national team, would be the best choice. Alternatively, the manager could consider Lucas Bergvall, a young midfielder who has had limited playing time this season. Although Bergvall has only played 46 minutes in the Premier League, he is known for his speed. With Manchester City’s midfield looking weaker due to Rodri’s injury, Bergvall’s pace could be an advantage.
Whoever Postecoglou chooses to replace Bentancur, it will be a tough challenge. Bentancur had been playing very well, and his absence is a significant loss for Tottenham. It will be interesting to see how the team adapts and whether the chosen replacement can step up in his absence.
