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Tottenham, Fulham and Liverpool won’t have to play against a defender due to his extended suspension.
Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham have received a boost as Southampton centre-back Jack Stephens will miss four matches due to picking up his second red card of the season.
The Saints’ skipper was seen to pull defender Marc Cucurella’s hair during the game and VAR ruled it to be a red-card offence, his second of the season after just 13 matches. It means that Stephens will have missed nine of Southampton’s opening 21 games just down to suspensions.
He was due to play against Spurs on Sunday 15 December and against Fulham on Sunday 22 December, but will now miss both of those games due to the sending-off that he endured against Chelsea at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Southampton manager Russell Martin, who remains under pressure, said: “I don't think anyone has been as disappointed as Jack. I haven't got to sit down with him and talk about that at all. I think he'll be hurt more than anyone but it's changed the game for us tonight which is disappointing. He's been amazing for us.”
Tottenham star remains suspended for Saints clash
Despite Southampton’s suspension concerns, Spurs still have problems of their own in the form of midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur who remains unavailable until Boxing Day after his comments regarding teammate Heung-Min Son which were deemed racist by the Football Association (FA).
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The Uruguay international has been out since mid-November due to the suspension and will miss key fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool before returning for an away trip to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou told Sky Sports in response to Bentancur’s ban: “I get that people want to burn people at the stake these days but if you want real education and progress, understanding that when someone makes a mistake and pays the penalty, part of that process is education and treating it in a way that is the way forward.”
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