Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off with a potentially serious knee problem during Saturday's 4-1 loss at Leicester; Tottenham are already without Yves Bissouma, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is suspended for Tuesday's trip to AC Milan; Hugo Lloris and Ryan Sessegnon are also currently out
Monday 13 February 2023 10:20, UK
Tottenham are facing a midfield injury crisis ahead of a crucial run of fixtures, with the club fearing the worst after Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a knee injury at Leicester on Saturday.
Bentancur opened the scoring for Spurs but was forced off after 65 minutes during what turned out to be a miserable day for the north London side, who lost 4-1 at the King Power Stadium.
Spurs have not confirmed the extent of the Uruguay international's injury, but reports suggest he could have damaged his ACL, which would keep him out for at least six months.
Bentancur's injury comes at a particularly bad time for Spurs, who are already without the injured Yves Bissouma and suspended Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at AC Milan.
While Hojbjerg will be eligible for domestic fixtures, Antonio Conte's side face going into their crucial encounter at San Siro with Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp as their only available central midfielders.
Sarr has started just one Premier League game since signing from Metz in the summer of 2021 and has never played in the Champions League, while academy product Skipp has started just five matches in all competitions this season.
Eric Dier can also step into midfield, but he has been used as part of a back three since Conte - who has also been absent this month due to surgery - took charge.
Spurs' midfield ranks will not be bolstered anytime soon, with the transfer window closed until the summer and Bissouma out for several months following ankle surgery.
Bissouma was one of three players to have been ruled out for a significant period of time during what has been a brutal week following the 1-0 win over Manchester City on February 5.
Captain and first-choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris faces between six and eight weeks out with a knee injury, while Ryan Sessegnon could be sidelined for a similar period of time with a hamstring issue.
As well as their two-legged tie against Milan - Spurs' first Champions League knockout matches in three years - they also face important games in the Premier League and FA Cup over the coming weeks.
Upon their return from Italy, Spurs play back-to-back London derbies against West Ham on Sunday and Chelsea on February 26 - both of which will be live on Sky Sports - as they look to close the two-point gap on fourth-placed Newcastle.
Tottenham then travel to Sheffield United on March 1 for their FA Cup fifth-round tie, with the competition representing this season's most likely route to ending their 15-year trophy drought.
