Rodrigo Bentancur will be miss the rest of the season after the Tottenham star ruptured his ACL and will now undergo surgery.
The midfielder was forced off during Saturday's heavy defeat at Leicester in what is a massive blow to the club's hopes of making the top four. Bentancur has had to deal with injury problems this season and has been a major miss in the middle of the park.
A club statement read: "We can confirm that Rodrigo Bentancur has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out of action for the remainder of the campaign. The midfielder will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation with our medical staff."
Bentancur was forced off after 65 minutes at the King Power Stadium as he looked visibly distressed following a challenge with Leicester's Nampalys Mendy. He clutched his face as he received treatment on the pitch before being taken off having also been given oxygen.
Bentancur's absence further adds to Tottenham's injury list. Antonio Conte is now without the majority of his central midfield options. Yves Bissouma underwent surgery on Friday on a stress fracture to his left ankle whilst Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is currently suspended.
The north Londoners are still fighting on several fronts and attention is now on their Champions League tie with AC Milan on Tuesday night in the San Siro.
Bentancur has been a revelation at Tottenham since arriving from Juventus just over a year ago. Conte lauded the Uruguayan earlier this season, stating he had everything in his locker to become a top player but wanted to see more desire from him.
He said in November: “Rodrigo [Bentancur] has only one problem in my opinion and he has the real possibility to be really, really top but we know to become a top player, you need to will it and to desire this. In the last period, I think Rodrigo is playing in an outstanding way and he is a player who is giving us a lot on the pitch, outside of the pitch and we are talking about a player who is showing the possibility to be a top midfielder in the world, one of the best.
“But to be a good player and the top, there is a difference and when you are medium to become good, it is not so difficult. To become good to top, I think he has everything and can become a top, top midfielder so for this reason I push him every day. I push him in the training session because he has this quality to become.
