Rodrigo Bentancur gives update on his injury recovery, does not regret joining Tottenham

The knee injury to Rodrigo Bentancur in February was a particularly rough one for Tottenham Hotspur because of the projected length of his recovery time. At the time it happened, it was suggested that Lolo could be out of action from 10 months to a year, potentially meaning he might not be back playing for Spurs until 2024.

That’s a huge blow considering Bentancur was one of, if not the, best midfielders Spurs had last season. But there is some good news! In a recent interview, reported in ESPN Uruguay, Lolo said that his injury is healing and his recovery is also going very well. He even said that if things keep progressing the way they are that he hopes he can see marked improvement in his running in 2-3 months.

Here’s an excerpt of his comments, translated.

“The injury came at a time when I was playing very well, but the truth is that I wouldn’t change what happened for anything, I was missing a lot at the family level and everything that I am experiencing with my daughter and my girlfriend in these four months is priceless. That is also why my recovery time has passed so quickly and I am doing so well.

“It’s a long injury, one of the most difficult in football, but the truth is that I’m having such a good time with my family… I train the same every day, I do double shifts two or three times a week. I brought the club’s physiotherapist to Uruguay, we continue working and my knee is doing very well. I didn’t set a lap time, but I hope in two or three months to be at least gaining a few minutes again.”

This seems consistent with what we’ve heard about the recovery time from a major knee injury like what Bentancur sustained, though from his comments things seem to be proceeding more or less according to plan. Bentancur did say that he does not anticipate that he will be participating in preseason training with Tottenham when the team returns from summer holiday, but that he will be staying in London once he returns there and won’t be traveling back and forth to Uruguay until his recovery is complete.

Lolo was also complementary of Tottenham and does not regret making the switch to north London from Juventus.

“I think it was the change I needed; I was at a huge club like Juventus where I lived more than four incredible years, but I needed a more mental change. I had completed a cycle and it was the little step I needed to improve quality more than anything. It was the best decision to have gone to England, the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.

“I went up in intensity, technically I also improved a lot because the playing fields are are like pool tables; you have to be fine, you have to be very physically fit. It was the little step that I needed to make the leap in quality, I still have a lot to improve, so I hope to continue on this path.”

ACL injuries are tough to recover from, but it sounds as though Bentancur is doing all he can to get back as soon as possible. It’ll still be a long time before we see him take the field for Spurs, much less get back to full form and fitness, but it’s good to hear an update on his progress from his own mouth.