Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-game domestic ban is a significant blow for the midfielder and Tottenham, disrupting the Uruguayan's steady return to his best and robbing Ange Postecoglou of a key player for a crucial stage of the season.

Bentancur can have few complaints about the sanction, handed down by an independent panel, following his racial slur against team-mate Heung-min Son on Uruguayan TV over the summer, especially as the punishment is on the lenient end of the scale; the FA recommends six- to 12-match bans for players found guilty of discrimination.

For Bentancur, it means another frustrating spell on the sidelines after two injury-hit seasons which have disrupted his career.

He missed more than eight months of football after rupturing his ACL in February 2023 and, in just his fourth game back, was sidelined for a further month with ankle ligament damage following a heavy challenge from Aston Villa's Matty Cash.

He eventually returned to action last December and showed flashes of his best in the second half of the season without finding a rhythm.

This term, however, he has begun to look like the calm, skilful and industrious box-to-box midfielder of before his injuries, and has edged ahead of Yves Bissouma as Postecoglou's starting No6 in recent weeks.

He was excellent in the back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa, and helped to change the game as a half-time substitute against Galatasaray.

The 27-year-old was one of the few Spurs players to emerge with any credit from the subsequent 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich, dragging the hosts back into the game with a headed goal from a corner, underlining the sense that he is increasingly an on-field leader for Postecoglou's young side.

Bentancur will now sit out Premier League games against Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool, and Manchester United's visit in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

It is a pivotal run of fixtures, including matches against the current top three and a visit to Bournemouth, who have beaten Arsenal and City in their last two home games.

Many supporters regard the United game as the most important of the lot and, by the time Bentancur returns, Spurs' prospects for the season should be clearer.

Postecoglou can still play Bentancur in Europe, and he is now nailed-on to start the games against Roma and Rangers in the Europa League during his sanction.

Bissouma is the natural replacement for Bentancur in the side and has impressed in bursts this season, without returning to the levels which made the Malian such an exciting prospect at the start of last term.

Bissouma is arguably a better fit as Postecoglou's No6, capable of resisting the press and driving the team forward, but he can also be looser in possession and more prone to careless moments.

Teenager Archie Gray, 18, can also play at the base of midfield and has impressed when selected this season, albeit exclusively in the back four.

Postecoglou could also experiment with a three of Pape Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, although that may leave Spurs short of defensive cover and struggling to build-up effectively, given how good both Bentancur and Bissouma are at evading opposition pressure.

There is enough there to get by but Bentancur's absence will further stretch a squad which has shown signs of creaking under the weight of the schedule of late.

Postecoglou, at least, is no stranger to losing key players and has had time to prepare for this eventuality since Bentancur was charged by the FA in September.