Rodrigo Bentancur could be due to return for Tottenham Hotspur this month, but it may not be a good thing.
Criticism of Spurs is more than warranted this season, but there has to be some acknowledgement of the injury crisis that has ensued in North London once again.
That has been a huge reason behind their demise, with several star players having missed large chunks of the season through injury.
Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Bentancur are just a handful of the names to have missed out, though the latter is due back soon.
However, Bentancur’s return from injury may not bring as much optimism as many would have first imagined.
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Rodrigo Bentancur’s stats laid bare
Bentancur can be a quality player, and we have all seen that throughout his time in North London.
Whether it be carving out opportunities in the final third or helping his side out defensively, the Uruguayan has usually been very reliable.
But that has not been the case at all this season prior to his injury, and the chances of him changing that upon his return are very slim, given the layoff he has had.
Bentancur ranks among the bottom 50.6 per cent of Premier League midfielders for successful passes per 90 with 39.75, but the majority of his stats get worse from there.
With just one big chance created in 1415 minutes of football, the midfielder ranks among the bottom 26.5 per cent of players in his position, with just nine chances created in total.
And while it’s fair to say that that is very rarely his role in the team, it may well be under Roberto De Zerbi, given that Joao Palhinha is likely to be the midfielder that sits deep, allowing his partner to roam forward.
Who features in Tottenham’s best midfield under Roberto De Zerbi?
As mentioned above, De Zerbi usually adopts a midfield two, both of whom have very different roles.
If Palhinha is to be one of them, it means the other needs to be someone capable of influencing things in the final third just as much as defensively, and that may prove to be Lucas Bergvall’s role.
The Swede has been one of the only positives from yet another dismal campaign domestically, and he may continue that under De Zerbi ahead of the final seven games of the season.
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