Tottenham will hope for Rodrigo Bentancur appeal success after Uruguay display

Rodrigo Bentancur's performance for Uruguay against Brazil will leave Tottenham Hotspur hopeful of reducing his recent seven-match ban.

Bentancur was a key pillar in Uruguay's midfield as they held the Selecao to a 1-1 draw in Bahia, playing a full 90 minutes as Manuel Ugarte's opener was cancelled out by a Gerson volley in the second half.

It looks set to be the last match Bentancur plays for quite some time, due to the FA ban imposed on him for making a racist remark about Spurs captain Son Heung-min, which the club are set to appeal [The Telegraph, 20 November].

Though a successful appeal would still see Bentancur be banned for a number of games, having him available as soon as possible, based on his most recent international outing, would be hugely beneficial.

Rodrigo Bentancur set to be a major miss for Tottenham

Though Ange Posteocoglou has tried a number of different combinations in midfield this season, their best results have come with Bentancur at the base, and he's even impressed in their poorest moments.

Against Brazil in a star-studded midfield alongside Ugarte and Federico Valverde, Bentancur put in an industrious performance which saw him contest nine duels in total, winning 67 per cent on the ground [FotMob].

Although he only won one of three tackles, Bentancur still recovered possession four times for La Celeste [FotMob], making one block amid a further five defensive actions at Arena Fonte Nova.

Having 50 touches and completing 86 per cent of his 37 attempted passes [SofaScore], Bentancur threaded seven of these into the final third but did lose out on possession twice with the ball at his feet.

With Spurs facing an anxious wait over what the eventual length of his ban will be, Postecoglou will be mulling over the best option to utilise in his place, but it remains to be seen if any of the Lilywhites' current crop are able to have the impact Bentancur does for club and country.

In other Tottenham news, one forgotten Spurs man reminded Ange Postecoglou what he can do on international duty this week.

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