Tottenham Hotspur may finally start to get some key players back in the coming weeks after the March international break, and the returns of Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison, in particular, are the two main storylines this attacking starved Spurs side are most looking forward to before the end of this nightmare 2025/26 season.
Because there is so much left to play for after Spurs lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest, falling just one point ahead of West Ham United as the only team standing between themselves and relegation to the EFL Championship.
As Spurs anticipate Kudus's return for another must win matchup against a stingy Sunderland defense after the international fixtures, they may also get word of the return of center midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.
Rodrigo Bentancur is no savior for Tottenham
They say that absence makes the heart go fonder, and whlie that is 100 percent true for stars like Kudus, Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski, it is also, apparently, the case for Bentancur, who has even received adulations on social media by Spurs fans missing the Uruguayan international.
Bentancur has been out for a couple of months after a supposedly minor injury was revealed to be hamstring tear - such has been the luck of Tottenham Hotspur in 2025/26. And while having veteran depth and someone capable of stringing passes together will be an upgrade to a Spurs side that has been forced to watch Conor Gallagher flounder as the only signing made following the winter injuries to Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall, Spurs supporters have to be careful not to revise history here.
Whlie Bentancur is a decent rotational player, he was part of the problem for Tottenham before his injury. He lacked bravery on the ball, often shielded himself behind defenders in the build up play, lacked any sort of robustness or progression on the ball, and scarcely made defensive interventions. Benta is a smart player with decent technique, but Archie Gray quickly usurped him as a starter because he was more courageous and effective on the ball.
Tottenham fans need to stop letting the poor performances currently make them forget about poor performances in the past. Gassing up mediocre players has been part of Spurs problem. In comparison to Gallagher, Bentancur looks like Adam Wharton or Declan Rice on the ball. In comparison to the actual top deep lying midfielders of the Premier League, Bentancur is not even starting caliber. It will be nice to have the depth and experience back, but anybody raving about how Bentancur will stabilize the midfield or be a solution to Spurs problems has already forgotten the very real issues Spurs had with him in the first half of this grotesque 2025/26 campaign.