During an interview in his homeland, Uruguay, Rodrigo Bentancur was asked by a reporter if he could get Son Heung-min's shirt for the journalist.
The Tottenham midfielder responded by saying, "Sonny’s or a cousin of Sonny’s? They all look the same, more or less."
With the FA's minimum ban for a racist remark being six games, Spurs have seemingly managed to avoid a much heftier ban, which at times was rumoured to be closer to a 12-game suspension.
This means Bentancur would miss the next six Premier League games against Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool.
The ban will also include domestic cup competitions, which excludes him from Spurs' Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.
Despite Bentancur's recent form being impressive, including a goal in the Lilywhites' recent defeat to Ipswich, there are positives to this situation for the North London club.
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Archie Gray could get his chance to play in the midfield
After filling in all across the back line for Ange Postecoglou's side, Archie Gray may be the biggest beneficiary of this suspension.
With the former Leeds youngster currently struggling to break into the first team in the Premier League, this opening in the squad gives him more of an opportunity to play.
Yves Bissouma will most likely take priority as a more experienced member of the squad to cover for league fixtures. This does, however, open the midfield for Gray in domestic cup competitions.
In the UEFA Europa League, the Englishman has been used as a utility full-back on several occasions, most recently playing the duration of Spurs' loss to Galatasaray.
The game against Ruben Amorim's Manchester United comes three days before a home fixture against Liverpool, meaning Postecoglou will likely rest some of his players for the weekend.
Supporters are widely impressed by the 18-year-old's composure on the ball and his ability to pick a pass, albeit from an inverted full-back position.
This lends itself to him playing in the midfield, due to the constant involvement in central areas from Spurs' left and right-back, of which Gray has played both.
Tottenham will obviously miss Bentancur during this period, but Archie Gray could be the ideal solution, with a view to integrate him permanently into the centre of the pitch.
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A chance for Yves Bissouma to regain his form
Yves Bissouma has been a substitute on multiple occasions this season, due to the hard working elegance of his Uruguayan teammate, Rodrigo Bentancur.
The Mali international made an impressive start to life under Ange Postecoglou, proving to be a vital part of his system.
After a red card against Luton Town in October 2023, the spark seemed to disappear for the former Brighton midfielder, finding it challenging to reignite his early season excellence.
Performances this season have demonstrated Bissouma's determination and drive on the ball, but we are still yet to see the full extent of his potential in the Premier League.
The Malian midfielder will almost certainly be featuring for Tottenham against Manchester City at the Etihad later this month, which will be a true test of whether he is ready to cover in Bentancur's absence.
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It could have been a lot worse for Tottenham
This is by no means a perfect situation for Spurs, with several important fixtures coming up, including Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Despite this, Bentancur should still be able to feature in the Europa League, effectively keeping healthy rotation in the squad.
Seven games is a long time to be suspended but would certainly be the right call from the FA, albeit a few months on from the original incident.
It's also a period long enough for Yves Bissouma to make the holding midfield position his own with high intensity running, physical dominance and shrewd decision making in tight areas.
The Uruguayan has played a crucial role for the Lilywhites this season and will no doubt continue to do so upon his return to domestic action.
For now, it could provide an opportunity for Archie Gray to make a real impression and further prove his significant value to Tottenham's long-term future.
