Rodrigo Bentancur faces prospect of additional ban as Tottenham wait on FA charge verdict

Last Saturday, Rodrigo Bentancur gave a standout performance in Tottenham’s 3-1 victory over Brentford, showcasing his true talents. After suffering an ACL injury at Leicester City in February 2023 and a few more ailments, the Uruguayan has had a very difficult 18 months. Against the Bees, though, he showed everyone what he can bring to Ange Postecoglou’s team for the 2024–2025 season.

Regretfully, Postecoglou and the Spurs may be about to lose the Uruguayan international for a stretch of games at some point not too far off. Bentancur faces charges from the FA for remarks he made about Spurs captain Son Heung-min in a June interview, as was disclosed earlier in the month. The player has until Thursday, September 19, to respond to the charges.

Bentancur and Tottenham are currently awaiting the FA’s decision, and as a result of his remarks, he may be suspended for up to 12 games. Following the initial news of the player’s FA charge, football.london spoke with the FA and learned that match-based sanctions ranging from six to twelve games are suggested to regulatory commissions for nearly all “aggravated breaches” of FA Rule E3 that are first-time offenses by individual players.

The midfielder for the Spurs has the option to acknowledge or refute the accusation. The commission will then determine what sanctions, if any, to impose if he accepts. The commission will determine whether to uphold or dismiss the case if Bentancur denies it. If the former, they will also determine the appropriate sentence or sanctions.

The possibility of yet another ban looms large for Bentancur. The 27-year-old is currently balancing on the thin line of discipline after receiving three yellow cards in his opening four Premier League games of the season.

Players will be suspended for one match if they receive five yellow cards in their first 19 games, as is customary. After five games, fourteen Premier League players have received three yellow cards; Bentancur is the only Tottenham player on the list.

With 14 Premier League games remaining before we cross the threshold for a one-match suspension for five yellow cards, Bentancur is likely to receive a ban if his present trend of receiving yellow cards persists. Nevertheless, the former Juventus player might miss some of those 14 Premier League games based on the potential punishment he receives for his FA accusation.

After a patchy performance the previous year, Bentancur’s season was always going to be big. Postecoglou lauded his midfield player on the eve of the campaign and explained his significance as Tottenham looks to advance. He will be a huge loss for the team if he ends up missing some games.