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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Half time view of SunSport's Jack Rosser at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Both sides have struggled to recover from the early Bentancur injury, which understandably sapped the atmosphere from the stadium.
Neither side have settled well, but Liverpool look way off their best.
The Reds have been wasteful on the ball, turning possession over to Spurs far too regularly.
Rodrigo Bentancur update
Sky Sports say Bentancur was accompanied by the club doctors into the dressing room after being stretchered off and remains there with them.
At half time, Mark Chapman said: “The latest we have on Rodrigo Bentancur after that awful looking injury is that when he was stretchered off he was accompanied by doctors to the dressing room and he’s still in there with the doctors.
"That's the only update we have at the moment."
Rodrigo Bentancur - what we know
We're still awaiting an update on Rodrigo Bentancur after the worrying scenes of the first half.
The midfielder stooped to meet a corner after six-and-a-half minutes and it looked like he simply just missed the ball as Spurs kept the attack going.
Pedro Porro acted quicker than anyone, sprinting over to help his team-mate before players from both sides frantically waved on medical help.
Sky Sports were quick to come away from the live pictures before later showing the midfielder receiving oxygen before being transferred to a stretcher and taken off the field some eight minutes or so later.
HT! Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
A surprising score line at the break.
45+9 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Having said that, Spurs then go on the break as Kulusevski finds Spence in room.
He finds Son on the left but he has to work to keep it in, so his loopy cross is too high for Bergvall who can't get any purchase on his header.
45+7 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Gakpo again goes for goal, this time from a tight angle out on the left but he's well, well off target.
Liverpool don't want this half to end at the minute.
45+5 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Nervy for the Spurs supporters - and Kinsky!
Gakpo drives through the heart of the park on the break and gets to within 25 yards before firing low and hard at goal and Kinsky gets in the way of the effort but it spills behind him.
Luckily he took the sting out the shot and is able to turn round and pick the ball up six yards or so from his own goal.
45+3 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Liverpool really finishing the half strongly here.
Gakpo does really well down the left and gets to the byline before flicking in a clever cross which Salah controls but it lands perfectly in between he and Mac Allister.
They almost leave it for each other before Salah turns onto his right foot and shoots well over.
45 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
ELEVEN MINUTES added on.
44 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Another attacking free kick chance for Liverpool after Mac Allister was wiped out by Kulusevski.
Tsimikas is over it, 25 yards from goal and on the left of centre. His cross is easily headed clear.
43 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Blistering counter attack from Liverpool, which starts from Jota midway inside his own half.
A cheeky nutmeg on Bissouma and they're away as he feeds Salah who drives to the edge of the box and finds Gakpo. Tsimikas makes the overlap and is played into the area but his low cross looking for a team-mate is cut out by Bergvall who does well.
40 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Almost a peach of a ball from Kulusevski there.
Picking up a position on the left, he bent a pass in behind the Liverpool back line looking for Son but the ball just skipped away from the Spurs skipper.
He was bearing down on goal too and Alisson nipped off his line to nick it off Son's toes. Nearly again.
From SunSport's Jack Rosser at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
The game has struggled to get going following Bentancur's worrying injury.
That said, Liverpool do not look at their best once again following the performance against Manchester United.
Solanke will be frustrated that he could not work his feet out to finish from Son's cross and Spurs have had a bit of encouragement from their back line already.
33– Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Gakpo really should be doing better there!
The floated free kick finds the Dutchman 12 yards out but his free header is so, so weak allowing Kinsky to make a simple save.
31– Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Easy yellow card decision for Stuart Attwell. Diogo Jota gets turned midway inside the Spurs half and drives towards the Spurs area.
Bissouma is chasing him back and falls into the back of the Portuguese, sending him crashing to ground 25 yards from goal.
Yellow for the Spurs man.
29 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Now Liverpool are forced into their own early change themselves as things tie continues in a stop-start fashion.
Jarell Quansah is sat on the turf and he won't be able to continue.
- OFF: Quansah
- ON: Endo
27 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Just shy of 30 minutes on the clock, though we're probably only halfway through the action after that lengthy stoppage.
Not much happening in front of goal as things stand.
24 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Now it's Liverpool's turn to attack and Mo Salah will feel he should've done better.
He initially finds Gakpo on the left edge of the box and you expect him to go for that far corner. Instead he lays it back off for Salah who curls an effort towards goal but it's always curling away.
In the end, it's a few yards wide.
22 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Nearly for Spurs!
They're knocking at the door, this time the ball is worked out to Son on the left.
Clever stepover as he drives at Bradley inside the box before a low, fired cross is flicked just wide by Solanke running across the front post.
20 – Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
An almost moment from Kulusevski as Tottenham remain on the front foot.
They win the ball inside the Liverpool final third and Kulusevski attempts to drill a pass in behind for Solanke which almost comes off, but rolls through to Alisson.
18 - Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Any more news on Bentancur and we'll bring it straight away.
Back to the action on the park, Kinsky needed two bites at the cherry to catch a long ball into the area but he showed incredible composure to make a square pass for Dragusin inside his own area.
Only his second touch in a Spurs shirt but already looks like he could play in midfield.
Back underway
The game is back underway as the scoreboard hits 15 minutes, having stopped after six and a half minutes.
So a lengthy stoppage as Johnson replaces Bentancur. But it's NOT a concussion substitution...
The Spurs corner comes in but Alisson collects easily.
We wish Bentancur well, of course.
Pictures don't look clever
Brennan Johnson is getting stripped to come on but still the medical team work with Bentancur.
He is being moved onto the stretcher.
The pictures are just coming in and he didn't look in a good way but hopefully the transfer to the stretcher is a good sign.
Bentancur worry
Around a dozen medical staff surround the midfielder.
Porro noticed almost immediately as Bentancur lay flat out on his stomach before Dragusin sprinted over after diverting that shot goal-bound.
Postecoglou seems to discuss with another member of staff that it was a head knock off the ground as a result of that missed diving header. Nobody else was around him at the time.
The stretcher is on pretty sharply, too.
Worrying scenes
The game has paused and this doesn't look good at all.
Not entirely sure what's happened by Bentancur is lying flat out on the ground having missed the ball with that stoop.
The Spurs and Liverpool players were quick to scream for help from the touchline.
