Ange Postecoglou names the one unfortunate thing that has disrupted Tottenham's preparations for Man City game

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says the club has been dealing with the Rodrigo Bentancur issue, in which the midfielder was found guilty of using a racial slur against teammate Son Heung-min. During his press conference ahead of the game against Manchester City, Postecoglou confirmed that, contrary to what some may say outside the club, Tottenham has been doing everything possible to give the Uruguayan midfielder all the help and support he needs.

Bentancur has been handed a seven-game ban starting from this weekend’s trip to the Etihad. Spurs have announced they will appeal, aiming to reduce the length of the ban by at least one game. The decision to appeal has sparked divided opinions, but Postecoglou said it is something the club is working through, alongside preparing for upcoming games.

He said: “No, it hasn’t. It’s not like we’ve ignored it the whole way through. From the outside, it may seem that way, but internally, we understand the situation, and we’ve been helping Rodrigo through the process of understanding it, along with the whole group, so they understand the ramifications of making such a mistake.

“That’s how you make progress, and the whole group understands that. Is it a daily topic? No, it’s not, because there are a lot of other things going on. But it’s not like we’re pretending it didn’t happen. We know it happened, and the appropriate people are dealing with it. We’ve dealt with it within the four walls of our dressing room.”

Tottenham travel to Manchester City at a time when they’ve lost their last four games in all competitions. However, they have been boosted by the news that Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract, and several players are returning from injury.

But Spurs will be guided and backed by the fact they have previously won against the Premier League champions.