Rodrigo Bentancur injury latest: Tottenham midfielder gives health update after horror head injury during Liverpool win
RODRIGO BENTANCUR has provided an update after suffering a horror injury on the pitch during Tottenham's Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg win over Liverpool.
The Spurs midfielder appeared to slam into the turf after going for a header at a corner, with his arm also bending the wrong way as he landed.
Following treatment by medics inside the Liverpool box, Bentancur was carried off the pitch after a worrying seven-minute delay and was rushed to hospital.
Spurs went on to record a battling 1-0 win as Lucas Bergvall scored his first goal for the club, while new keeper Antonin Kinsky kept a clean sheet on his debut after being thrown straight into the mix.
Late on Wednesday night, Bentancur shared an image on Instagram of him and his girlfriend smiling.
The midfielder confirmed he was "all good" with a thumbs up and praised his side for their win over Liverpool.
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Spurs won't let him back - for now
Bentancur will be kept away from Spurs' training ground - until he is given the all clear to return.
Tottenham of course will take no chances over his condition.
And even when he is back, a resumption of action won't immediately follow.
Spurs medics to check on Rodrigo at home
Tottenham's medical team will reportedly pay regular home visits to Bentancur.
The staff see the checks as an important follow-up following his fall during last night's Carabao Cup semi-final win over Liverpool.
Doctor speaks out on speculation
A medical expert has moved to dismiss speculation over Rodrigo Bentancur's condition
Some fans noticed an earlier incident with the Tottenham star's jaw.
But Dr Gareth Nye, a lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Salford, reckons it's likely that moment and Bentancur's sickening fall soon after are NOT connected.
He surveyed the midfielder's slump to the ground following an attempted header.
And he told the : “Having watched the video slowed down, you can see he twists his head to get to the ball.
"And as he lands on the pitch, the side of his head hits the ground with some force to the point his head bounces back up again.
“The brain is protected by the skull however in cases of trauma like this the brain actually bangs against the inside of the skull leading to bruising and as the brain is damaged it very often causes a loss of conscious, blurred vision and it can disrupt breathing patterns.
“My best guess would be Bentancur had quite a bad case of concussion and thankfully seems to be in good shape afterwards”.
Bentancur health update
Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur provided an update from his hospital bed this morning after his frightening on-field collapse last night.
The Spurs midfielder fell to the floor unchallenged during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool.
Bentancur landed awkwardly after attempting to head the ball away from a corner six minutes into the contest.
Teammate Pedro Porro rushed to his aid before medical staff worked on the Uruguayan for almost 10 minutes.
The 27-year-old was given oxygen and placed in a neck brace before being taken off on a stretcher.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, with boss Ange Postecoglou confirming after the game Bentancur was “conscious when he got to the dressing room.”
Following the scary incident, the ex-Juventus man later provided a health update to his 2 million Instagram followers.
Smiling alongside girlfriend Melany La Banca and wearing a Spurs t-shirt, Bentancur confirmed he was “all good” with a thumbs up.
Spurs 1 Liverpool 0 - report
Amid the fear over Bentancur's injury, Spurs still managed to bag a huge 1-0 win over Liverpool.
Lucas Bergvall nabbed a late strike to put Tottenham in control of the Carabao Cup semi.
Should Ange Postecoglou's men advance to the final, they will play either Newcastle or Liverpool - with Toon currently 2-0 up ahead of a return leg at home.
How long is Bentancur out for?
While it remains unclear how long Bentancur will be sidelined for, he is sure to miss this weekend's FA Cup tie against Tamworth.
Spurs will want to make sure he is 100 per cent fit before bringing him back, with Bentancur already suffering several long-term injuries at the club.
But with the likes of Lucas Bergvall in fine form, there may not even be room for him in the team when he does return!
Ange's pain
Ange Postecoglou opened up on the hurt he felt seeing Rodrigo Bentancur on the deck.
Spurs' boss said: "It was pretty distressing at the time to see him go down like that, for the players.
"When dealing with adversity this group of players just compose themselves and responded to it really well."
Bentancur likely to miss Tamworth
Rodrigo Bentancur is likely to miss Tottenham's trip to face Tamworth in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Concussion protocols mean it is very unlikely that Bentancur will be passed fit before the fixture.
Ange Postecoglou will be hoping his midfielder will be ready by next week with Spurs making the short trip to the Emirates Stadium for a North London Derby next Wednesday.
Ange's explanation
Ange Postecoglou referred to a little-know rule as he claimed Lucas Bergvall was correctly not sent-off against Liverpool.
The 18-year-old midfielder was the hero for Tottenham, scoring the winner in their 1-0 victory in the Carabao Cup semi-final last night.
Liverpool were incensed that Bergvall should have got his marching orders for wiping out Kostas Tsimikas when already on a yellow card.
But Postecoglou explained why that didn't matter, he said: "The rule is, and we have been told for quite a while now, that if advantage gets played, as long as it is not for a cynical tackle then the yellow card doesn’t get given."
Postecoglou's warning
Ange Postecoglou has fired a warning to anyone monitory Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.
The teenagers were on top form against Liverpool as Gray looked solid at the back and Bergvall bagged the match winner.
And Postecoglou has claimed he "won't be happy" if they're not at Spurs in the future.
Bergvall was brilliant! Him, Gray… I'm so happy they're at our football club and you know, in two or three years' time, I just pray to God I'm the beneficiary of their talent!
Because if somebody else is getting it, I won't be happy
Ange Postecoglou
Kinsky's emotional debut
Antonin Kinsky had an emotion embrace with his sister in the stands after a dream debut for Spurs last night.
The 21-year-old only signed on Sunday and was thrown into the deep end with a debut against in-form Liverpool in the cup semi-final.
But a confident performance saw him keep a clean sheet and celebrate with his sister in the stands.
Fans react
Fans online are delighted to hear that Bentancur is doing well.
The midfielder updated supporters that he is "all good" with a post on Instagram, and fans are chuffed to know their star is doing okay.
One said: "Great news Rodrigo".
While another wrote: "Happy you're well Rodrigo. Wishing you some Spurs love".
And a third commented: "Glad to see you smiling".
Tottenham's other injuries
Postecoglou knows all too well what it's like to lose a player.
The Aussie has been working with depleted resources all season.
Here's a look at every player that is either our or a doubt for Spurs' FA Cup clash against Tamworth this weekend.
- Guglielmo Vicario - OUT
- Destin Udogie - OUT
- Ben Davies - OUT
- Cristian Romero - OUT
- Micky van de Ven - OUT
- Richarlison - DOUBT
- Wilson Odobert - OUT
- Fraser Forster - DOUBT
More from Ange
Ange Postecoglou told just how hard it was to see Bentancur suffer such a serious head injury in the game.
It was pretty distressing at the time to see him go down like that, for the players.
When dealing with adversity this group of players just compose themselves and responded to it really well.
Ange Postecoglou
Next five games
Bentancur looks to be on the mend following his injury last night, but the Spurs medical team will have to take every measure to make sure he's okay to play.
The midfielder could miss a run of fixtures as builds himself back up to be match ready.
Here's a look at Spurs' next five games...
Ange's post-match reaction
Ange Postecoglou was hopeful that Rodrigo Bentancur would be okay following his concerning head injury last night.
Speaking after the game, Postecoglou said: "I don't have all the information.
"My understanding is he is conscious and he was conscious when he got to the dressing room. We took him to hospital to get him checked over.
"It was worrying and always a concern but from what I know hopefully he will be OK."
We now know that Bentancur is okay, after the Uruguayan posted an update on his Instagram claiming he is "all good".
Bentancur provides health update
Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur has provided an update from his hospital bed after his frightening on-field collapse.
The Spurs midfielder fell to the floor unchallenged during Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool.
Bentancur landed awkwardly after attempting to head the ball away from a corner six minutes into the contest.
Teammate Pedro Porro rushed to his aid before medical staff worked on the Uruguayan for almost 10 minutes.
The 27-year-old was given oxygen and placed in a neck brace before being taken off on a stretcher.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, with boss Ange Postecoglou confirming after the game Bentancur was "conscious when he got to the dressing room."
Following the scary incident, the ex-Juventus man later provided a health update to his 2 million Instagram followers.
Smiling alongside girlfriend Melany La Banca and wearing a Spurs t-shirt, Bentancur confirmed he was "all good" with a thumbs up.
History made
Here is the moment Stuart Atwell confirmed the decision to disallow Dominic Solanke's goal for offside following a VAR review.
Ange fires back at VAR
Ange Postecoglou is clearly not a big fan of VAR and the introduction of referee's announcing a decision has not swayed his opinion.
He said: "I'm really surprised by how people in this country have let their game be changed. It's been changed so much by VAR. We never used to discuss handling in the box, offside.
"Did everyone really enjoy the announcement, did it give you a buzz?"