Journalist Alasdair Gold has expressed his concern over the current fitness of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.
After a hectic evening in the Champions League – which saw Spurs just about top their group – Antonio Conte’s men now have a tough test in the Premier League.
Indeed, they host Liverpool and will be sweating over the availably of Bentancur. While speaking in a press conference, the Tottenham manager did say that his midfielder has taken part in training since the Marseille game.
While this is good news, it’s no guarantee that he will be fully fit on the weekend and Gold outlined his fears while talking on the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast.
He said (59:31): “I am worried about Bentancur and if they can get him out there what state is he going to be in. Because, you know, he was feeling his hamstring big time towards the end of that game.”
TIF thoughts on Rodrigo Bentancur and Spurs…
Bentancur has been a crucial player to Conte’s side this season, featuring in all but one league game for Spurs so far this season, and also starting six from six in the Champions League.
On top of that, as noted in The Guardian, Tottenham concede a goal every 96 minutes when he is on the pitch and a goal every 56 minutes when he is not. According to Jonathan Liew, ‘he is the guy making it work’ in north London.
With that in mind, if the midfielder was to miss the Liverpool match, his absence would no doubt be a big blow for the club. The Reds haven’t been in the best form this season, but a recent win over Manchester City reminded everyone they still possess plenty of potential to cause any team real trouble.
With an average WhoScored match rating of 7.23 in the league this term, Bentancur ranks the second highest in the Spurs team – only behind Harry Kane. If he can get himself fit enough for the game, he could just end up being the difference.