"It does hurt" - Pierre on the loss of Rodrigo to injury
Thu 16 February 2023, 20:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg admits he is hurting for Rodrigo Bentancur, who has been ruled out for rest of the season through injury.
A key component of our side since his arrival from Juventus in January, 2022, Rodrigo ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Leicester City in our last Premier League outing and will now undergo surgery before starting his rehabilitation with our medical staff.
Since they were first paired together from the start in our memorable 3-2 win at Manchester City in February, 2022, Pierre and Rodrigo have built an excellent midfield partnership and developed a brilliant understanding on and off the pitch.
"We were speaking the other day and I told him 'we are improving each other, we are friends, we are team-mates, but we are pushing each other'," our number five revealed. "This is something fun but also interesting between us."
Their budding partnership has helped the pair go from strength to strength at the heart of our midfield and that is clear from the stats, especially in an attacking sense – the duo boasting a combined total of 18 goal involvements this term.
So far this campaign, Pierre has five goals and five assists to his name in all competitions - complemented by Rodrigo's six goals and two assists - and the Denmark midfielder admits his team-mate's injury is a massive loss, not just to the team, but also his personal game.
"It does hurt," he said. "You have a feeling he makes you better playing alongside him and that is a mutual feeling. We have both added scoring points to our game this season which is not bad.
"We have to manage it; we have to overcome this. I told him personally how great I think he is, but this is a time to come back stronger and grow, which life gives you sometimes. It is not easy, there will be difficult moments, but he is a strong and smart person who will find his way."
