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Prominent pundit and Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand made an error while discussing Tottenham Hotspur's UEFA Champions League clash against AC Milan.
Spurs suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie against the Rossoneri at the San Siro on Tuesday, February 14. Brahim Diaz scored the only goal of the game inside the opening 10 minutes to hand the reigning Serie A champions a slender advantage.
After the match, Ferdinand suggested that Tottenham have a good chance of turning the tie around in the second leg scheduled for March 8. He added that midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will be key for Antonio Conte's side and told BT Sport (as quoted by the Mirror):
"I think Spurs will be the more confident team going into the second leg. Home tie, at their home ground, you’d like to think they’ve got the two big players in their midfield - Bentancur and [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg - back in, experienced and know their way around the pitch.
"With that little bit more steel and grit in there, and the ability to unlock teams, I think Conte will be a bit confident going into the game."
Hojbjerg missed the match at the San Siro due to a suspension. However, Ferdinand's gaffe came in his assessment of Bentancur's return for the second leg.
The day before the game against Milan, Tottenham announced (via Twitter) that the Uruguayan is set to undergo surgery after rupturing the ACL in his left knee. He picked up the injury during their 4-1 Premier League defeat against Leicester City over the weekend and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
It's worth noting that Spurs are also currently without Yves Bissouma, who is yet to completely recover from an ankle injury. This meant Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr started in midfield against AC Milan.
Rodrigo Bentancur will be a massive miss for Tottenham
Rodrigo Bentancur has quickly become a vital part of Tottenham Hotspur's midfield since arriving from Juventus in January last year. Apart from his strengths in winning the ball back and progressing it forward, he has also added goals to his game.
Bentancur has already scored six times in 26 matches across all competitions this season. He notably failed to find the back of the net in 18 appearances for Spurs in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign.
In 18 Premier League matches this term, the Uruguayan has averaged 2.5 tackles, 1.2 clearances and 1.1 interceptions per game in addition to scoring five times. Tottenham have won 11 of those games, while winning just once in the five matches he has missed due to various injuries.
