Tottenham Hotspur will be without midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur for several of the team's most important fixtures leading up to the new year.
Bentancur was handed a seven-match suspension by the English Football Association for remarks toward teammate and Tottenham captain Son Heung-min earlier this year. Bentancur said in an interview with Uruguayan journalist Rafa Cotelo that Son and his cousins "all look the same" when Cotelo initially asked Bentancur for a shirt from the South Korean forward.
In addition to the seven-match suspension, Bentancur was also fined $126,000 for breaching the FA's E3 rules, with the governing body explaining that he "acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute. It was further alleged that this constitutes an "aggravated breach" …as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin."
While Bentancur will be unavailable for Spurs in their upcoming Premier League and EFL Cup matches, he will be available for selection in the UEFA Europa League league phase matches against AS Roma and Rangers. Both European matches come during the run of games he's suspended for.
