Tottenham Hotspur may have been hoping for a more productive start to the 2024/25 campaign after a return of one win from their first three matches.
The Lilywhites were held to a draw by Leicester City in their first game, before beating Everton 4-0 and losing 2-1 to Newcastle United in their first outing in the Premier League.
Ange Postecoglou has already had to deal with players not being available for selection, with Rodrigo Bentancur's concussion and Dominic Solanke's ankle injury being two examples.
Bentancur's availability issues have been frustrating in recent seasons, as the Uruguay international has been a fantastic player when fit for Spurs.
Rodrigo Bentancur's quality for Spurs
The central midfielder joined the club from Juventus on a permanent deal in January 2022 and has missed a whopping 52 matches through injury since then.
When fit, however, the Spurs star has racked up seven goals and seven assists in 71 appearances in all competitions, as a dynamic midfielder who can break forward to provide quality in the final third.
Those attributes were not on displays in the English top-flight last term, however, as his fitness problems appeared to catch up with his performances.
As you can see in the table above, Bentancur struggled for game time, due to his injury issues, in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, which restricted his impact at the top end of the pitch.
This shows that the former Juventus star is not a reliable operator for the manager, as he has consistently struggled to remain fit for long periods.
His injury struggles throughout his time at Tottenham may leave Postecoglou needing to find a long-term alternative to the 27-year-old and that could be found from within the club, with academy starlet Tyrese Hall.
Why Tyrese Hall could be Rodrigo Bentancur 2.0
The 19-year-old prospect is a central midfielder who has been one of the shining lights in the youth set-up in North London in recent seasons.
He caught the eye at U18 level with a return of ten goals and seven assists in 41 appearances before making the step up to the U21 side last term.
U23 scout Antonio Mango described him as a "top" talent and claimed that Hall has been "stepping up" in 2024, which speaks to his rise throughout the year.
Hall has produced four goals and three assists in 18 outings for the U21 side in all competitions, including two goals in three Premier League 2 games this season.
As you can see in the clip above, his first of a two-goal haul against Chelsea was a smart strike from distance after beating his man to create space for a shot.
The teenage gem is a dynamic and forward-thinking central midfielder who looks to make an impact in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
This, and his rise in recent months, suggests that the potential is there for him to be Postecoglou's next version of Bentancur in midfield, only without the availability issues.