Tottenham told how likely Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-match ban is to be reduced as Spurs appeal the FA’s sanction

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Tottenham Hotspur are ready to appeal Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-match ban after the FA hit the midfielder with the rulebook.

Bentancur was handed a seven-match ban on Monday by the Football Association for racist remarks aimed at Tottenham teammate Heung-min Son. He was also fined £100,000 for the incident with a Urugyian broadcast.

Tottenham are not appealing the guilty verdict but rather the length of the ban as they believe the FA have been too harsh, as do some of their Premier League rivals. Now, the North London club have been told how likely it is that Bentancur’s ban will be reduced from seven games.

How likely is Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game ban to be reduced?

Tottenham have been told that Bentancur’s ban is unlikely to be reduced by more than one match with the FA having introduced a six-game threshold for racism. Spurs are unsure as to why the 27-year-old’s ban exceeds this threshold.

The Telegraph report: “The FA introduced a minimum six-game ban for racist abuse five years ago, but Bentancur was handed an extra match after it was deemed that his comments constituted an ‘aggravated breach’. Tottenham’s appeal will be aimed at reducing Bentancur’s ban, although it is unlikely to be reduced below the minimum six-game threshold, despite perceived inconsistencies regarding other cases.”

The Lilywhites were also left stunned by the FA seemingly using Bentancur’s apology and Heung-min Son’s response against him as they believe it showed an acceptance of his remarks being insulting.

Which Tottenham games will Rodrigo Bentancur miss?

A one-game reduction to Bentancur’s ban would see him return against Liverpool at home, but he will still miss some key fixtures.

The ban has come at just the wrong moment for Tottenham who are facing a hectic schedule across the next month or so. Spurs are due to play nine games in just 29 days, including an away trip to Manchester City and a League Cup quarter-final clash with Man United.