Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons has suffered a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that will require surgery and will rule him out for the remainder of the campaign as well as the upcoming World Cup. The news represents a severe blow to a side already struggling near the bottom of the Premier League table. The incident occurred in the 58th minute of Tottenham's 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday. Simons was involved in a challenge with Wolves defender Hugo Bueno, fell to the ground clutching his right knee and, despite attempting to get up and continue, collapsed again in front of the club's medical team.
He was subsequently taken off the pitch on a stretcher, his season abruptly halted. At 23, Simons arrived in London for a £52 million fee after a high‑profile spell with Paris Saint‑Germain, and his injury adds to a growing list of absences that have plagued De Zerbi’s first few months in charge.
Earlier in the season, summer signing Mohammed Kudus and club captain Cristian Romero were also forced out for the rest of the term, leaving Spurs two points shy of safety with only four games remaining. Tottenham issued a statement on Monday confirming the seriousness of the damage and confirming that Simons will undergo an operation in the coming weeks before beginning a structured rehabilitation programme overseen by the club’s medical staff. The midfielder himself posted on Instagram on Sunday night, acknowledging that he would not be fit for the final quartet of league fixtures nor for the Dutch national team’s World Cup campaign this summer.
"They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I'm just trying to process it," the former PSG player wrote. "Honestly, I'm heartbroken. None of it makes sense.
All I've wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me, along with the World Cup." Simons’ debut season in England has been a roller‑coaster. He showed moments of brilliance under interim manager Thomas Frank, only to be sidelined by Igor Tudor later in the campaign. Under the current coach Roberto De Zerbi, however, he appeared to be finding his rhythm, highlighted by a spectacular long‑range strike in a 2‑2 home draw with Brighton that many pundits described as a potential turning point for the young attacking midfielder.
Now, with his recovery projected to take many months, Simons will miss Tottenham's desperate push to close the two‑point gap to 17th‑placed West Ham United – a gap that, if not bridged, could see the club suffer its first relegation in 49 years. In a heartfelt message, Simons said, "It'll take some time to find peace with this but I'll continue to be the best teammate I can be.
I have no doubt that together we'll win this fight. I'll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief as I count down the days to getting back out there. Be patient with me." Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood weighed in on Sky Sports, suggesting that the spate of injuries points to deeper issues within the club’s training and medical protocols. "Injuries have derailed Tottenham all season, and it can't be bad luck.
They need to review and have a good look at what's happening to their players because we can all get injured from contact, but a lot of these injuries are not contact. They are twists and soft‑tissue injuries. And ultimately, it looks like they might have to pay the price for it, the ultimate price, which is relegation," he said. Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge echoed the concern, noting the financial implications of retaining high‑earning players such as Simons, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski if the club were to drop into the Championship.
"If Tottenham do get relegated, they could still have James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons, three very big names, still at the club in the Championship. That's a ruptured ACL for Simons; you can forget this year. That's done.
So with his wages and everything, you've got to look at the financial side of it as well. I'm sorry to say, but Spurs' persistent injury issues need to be looked at. This is ridiculous now," Bridge remarked. Bridge also highlighted Simons' youth and the challenges he faces adapting to the Premier League.
"We forget how young he is and how difficult it is to move to the Premier League. So it's been a bit of an up and down first season for him.
He's been in the side, out of the side, he showed more glimpses when he was playing in the Champions League for Spurs this season. But, over the last few weeks, under Roberto De Zerbi, he's really coming into his own. He scored that absolutely stunning goal against Brighton. It really was a brilliant goal out of nothing.
And this is what Spurs are going to miss over the next few games, just that individual bit of brilliance which he's capable of. The players have to step up, but they don't really have that kind of creativity in the side, so he's going to have to mix it and match it a bit more now. He hasn't got many to call back from the bench, so it's going to be a difficult few weeks. That injury list is just absolutely ridiculous." In summary, Simons' ACL rupture not only ends a promising start to his Tottenham career but also removes a key creative spark from a squad fighting for survival.
The club now faces the dual challenge of shoring up its midfield options while addressing the underlying causes of its injury crisis, all in the hope of avoiding a historic relegation.