‘Start-stop’ sports more prone to Rodrigo-type falls
Rodrigo Bentancur’s worrying collapse on the pitch is more likely in stop-start sports like football, research suggests.
Possible cardiac events like the Tottenham star’s face-first collapse against Liverpool can be caused by sudden surges of intense physical action.
That’s because such sudden bursts could put the heart under extra pressure – which might be a problem if a player has an underlying issue.
However, there has been no information yet as to the cause of Bentancur’s fall
And there are several other possible explanations.
They include commotio cordis – which can come from a fierce, fast impact to the chest.
There are also more routine reasons, for example suffering from excessive heat, dehydration or lack of food.
At the moment, though, these are just possibilities for any such incident – rather than a nod to what might have happened with Bentancur.
Spurs won’t let him back – for now
Bentancur will be kept away from Spurs’ training ground – until he is given the all clear to return.
Tottenham of course will take no chances over his condition.
And even when he is back, a resumption of action won’t immediately follow.
Spurs medics to check on Rodrigo at home
Tottenham’s medical team will reportedly pay regular home visits to Bentancur.
The staff see the checks as an important follow-up following his fall during last night’s Carabao Cup semi-final win over Liverpool.
What’s next for Spurs as they wait on Rodrigo
Spurs now hope Bentancur is available sooner than first feared.
But the midfielder could miss a run of fixtures that includes a huge derby.
Doctor speaks out on speculation
A medical expert has moved to dismiss speculation over Rodrigo Bentancur’s condition
Some fans noticed an earlier incident with the Tottenham star’s jaw.
But Dr Gareth Nye, a lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Salford, reckons it’s likely that moment and Bentancur’s sickening fall soon after are NOT connected.
He surveyed the midfielder’s slump to the ground following an attempted header.
And he told the Daily Star: “Having watched the video slowed down, you can see he twists his head to get to the ball.
“And as he lands on the pitch, the side of his head hits the ground with some force to the point his head bounces back up again.
“The brain is protected by the skull however in cases of trauma like this the brain actually bangs against the inside of the skull leading to bruising and as the brain is damaged it very often causes a loss of conscious, blurred vision and it can disrupt breathing patterns.
“My best guess would be Bentancur had quite a bad case of concussion and thankfully seems to be in good shape afterwards”.
Bentancur health update
Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur provided an update from his hospital bed this morning after his frightening on-field collapse last night.
The Spurs midfielder fell to the floor unchallenged during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool.
Bentancur landed awkwardly after attempting to head the ball away from a corner six minutes into the contest.
Teammate Pedro Porro rushed to his aid before medical staff worked on the Uruguayan for almost 10 minutes.
The 27-year-old was given oxygen and placed in a neck brace before being taken off on a stretcher.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, with boss Ange Postecoglou confirming after the game Bentancur was “conscious when he got to the dressing room.”
Following the scary incident, the ex-Juventus man later provided a health update to his 2 million Instagram followers.
Smiling alongside girlfriend Melany La Banca and wearing a Spurs t-shirt, Bentancur confirmed he was “all good” with a thumbs up.
