Tottenham have confirmed that Xavi Simons has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will undergo surgery, ruling the 23-year-old attacking midfielder out for the remainder of the season and the World Cup with the Netherlands.
Simons went down clutching his right knee in the 58th minute of Saturday’s 1-0 win at Wolves — Spurs’ first Premier League victory of 2026. After a challenge involving Wolves defender Hugo Bueno, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward tried to continue but quickly collapsed and was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.
The absence of the £52m signing is the latest blow to a Spurs squad already depleted by injuries. Tottenham sit two points adrift of safety with four games remaining, having earlier lost summer signing Mohammed Kudus and captain Cristian Romero for the season during Roberto De Zerbi’s first month in charge.
Spurs said on Monday that Simons “will undergo surgery in the coming weeks” and will begin rehabilitation with the club’s medical team once the operation is complete. Simons himself posted on Instagram on Sunday evening to confirm he will not be available for Spurs’ final league fixtures or the World Cup. He wrote that he felt “heartbroken,” that “my season has come to an abrupt end,” and pledged to remain a supportive teammate as he works through recovery: “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.”
Simons’ first season in England had been inconsistent. After flashes of quality under Thomas Frank and a strange spell out of the team under Igor Tudor, he had begun to emerge under De Zerbi — notably scoring a spectacular goal in a 2-2 home draw with Brighton — and was expected to play a key creative role in Tottenham’s fight against relegation.
Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood warned that the club’s ongoing injury problems could exact a heavy price. He urged a review of the club’s medical and training practices, noting many injuries have been non-contact or soft-tissue issues and suggesting prolonged absences for key players could contribute to relegation. Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge echoed concerns about the scale of Tottenham’s injuries, highlighting the financial and sporting implications if high-wage players remained at the club should relegation occur. Bridge described Simons’ ACL injury as the worst possible outcome and questioned the initial handling of the incident when Simons was briefly encouraged to walk.
With creativity and match-winning individual quality now missing from the squad for the closing weeks of the season, Spurs will have to cope without one of their most promising young attacking talents as they attempt to overturn a two-point deficit to 17th-placed West Ham and avoid their first relegation in 49 years.