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.