Tottenham were dealt a huge blow at the weekend with the news that Xavi Simmons is expected to miss the rest of the season due to injury, with manager Roberto De Zerbi reportedly at odds over his first signing of the summer.
Simmons’ season-ending knee injury ‘heartbreaking’
Tottenham have announced that Xavi Simmons will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup against the Netherlands with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee.
The Dutch playmaker collapsed clutching his right knee in the 58th inning of Spurs’ first league win of 2026 against Wolves.
Xavi, who fell to the floor in a collision with Wolves defender Hugo Bueno, tried to escape his injury but collapsed in front of Tottenham’s medical staff, who then left with Molineux on a stretcher.
In a post on Instagram, Xavi revealed that he is not fit enough to play in Tottenham’s remaining four league games or to represent the Netherlands at this summer’s World Cup.
“They often say that life can be cruel, but that’s how I feel today. My season came to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it,” said the former Paris Saint-Germain player.
“Honestly, it’s heartbreaking. None of it makes sense.
“All I wanted to do was fight for the team, and now that ability has been taken away from me with the World Cup.”
player | injury | Last updated | EST (Eastern Standard Time) Back |
|---|---|---|---|
Xavi Simmons | knee (ACL) | Anterior cruciate ligament rupture in right knee. Surgery schedule followed by rehabilitation | 2027/02/20 |
Wilson Odbert | knee (ACL) | Anterior cruciate ligament tear in left knee. Specialist examination and surgery | 2026/11/28 |
muhammad jerusalem | thigh | Returned to training but requires further expert review | 2026/01/06 |
Dejan Kulusevski | knees | The coach expects him to participate in the World Cup. | 2026/01/06 |
Christian Romero | knees | for the season | 2026/01/06 |
ben davis | ankle/foot | ankle surgery | 2026/05/17 |
pastor william | Groin/Hip | The manager hopes he will be back in good health from Monday. | March 5, 2026 |
Destiny Udogie | muscular | Muscle problem, described as not serious | March 5, 2026 |
Pape Matar Saal | shoulder | I missed training this week due to shoulder pain. | March 5, 2026 |
Dominic Solanke | thigh | Extent unknown, pending Monday/Tuesday evaluation. | to be decided |
The £52m attacker’s absence will be a big blow for Tottenham and De Zerbi, who have already lost captain Cristian Romero and winger Mohamed Kudus to season-ending injuries in his first month at the club.
Xavi endured a frustrating debut for England and only showed flashes of equal brilliance under manager Thomas Frank before being strangely frozen out by Igor Tudor, but he looked ready to play a key role at De Zerbi, especially after his stunning goal in the 2-2 draw at home to Brighton.
The Lilywhites will need to determine their fate before starting their summer plans in earnest, but they are starting to sign contracts on the assumption that their survival is secured.
De Zerbi eyeing new left-back despite contract agreement with Robertson
In fact, Andy Robertson has reportedly fully agreed to sign for Spurs by the end of the season, provided they remain a top club.
However, the deal could come under scrutiny in the future as De Zerbi appears to prefer another left-back target.
The signing of the Italian player caused a lot of controversy as it was revealed by Italian media that he was not just the head coach, but was given a significant say in all transactions within the club, including contracts.
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Now, Italian media (translated by Sport Witness) claim that De Zerbi is “ready” to join former Brighton star Pervis Estupinan.
The Ecuadorian international, who currently plays for AC Milan, is set to leave Serie A at the end of the season, with Milan prepared to sell him for a relatively low fee of around £15m.
The Spurs manager, who scored four goals and provided 12 assists in 64 games under De Zerbi on the south coast, is thought to be a big fan of the South American’s fit in his system.
It remains to be seen whether he is gracious enough to cancel what is essentially a fully agreed contract with Robertson.
