Tottenham Playmaker to Miss Rest of Season and World Cup With Netherlands After Being Stretchered Off at Wolves
On Saturday, April 25, Tottenham superstar Xavi Simons went down with a knee injury in the 58th minute of the team’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton. This injury not only rules him out for the remainder of Tottenham’s season but also the World Cup, where he was set to compete for the Netherlands.
The injury came after colliding with Wolverhampton defender Hugo Bueno. Following the injury, Simons, 23, attempted to get up and run off the injury, but instead, he collapsed to the turf and left Molineux Stadium on a stretcher.
The team later announced on Instagram that Simons tore his ACL.
“We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
“The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of our Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
“Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and, following that, will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team,” the team said.
Simons then took to his Instagram to announce the news.
"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," he said.
"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."
Tottenham signed Simons last year for £52 million. They’re not without Simons, Mohammed Kudus, and Cristian Romero.
Simons’ role with Tottenham has varied throughout the year as he showed flashes under Thomas Frank, didn’t do much of anything under Igor Tudor, and now, under De Zerbi, he is playing a bigger role.
His frustrating debut season in England will end with 19 starts across 28 matches, two goals, and five assists.
Impact on Tottenham
It has not been a good season for Tottenham as they’ve been staring down the barrel of relegation, but the 1-0 win, thanks to João Palhinha, against Wolverhampton was invaluable.
Despite the win, though, West Ham beat Everton 2-1, so Tottenham remains in the bottom three alongside Burnley and Wolverhampton.
Simons was being used much more under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, but now, without him, Kudus, and Romero, they’ll have to find ways to avoid relegation. Their remaining four matches include Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea, and Everton.
Impact on the Netherlands World Cup Chances
The Netherlands is inside the top 10 in odds across the best online sportsbooks to win the World Cup. Their first match is on June 14 against Japan.
Losing Simons will certainly impact the Netherlands, but not as much as it’ll harm Tottenham.
The Netherlands still has Virgil van Dijk as their most experienced defender, Memphis Depay, who has 55 international goals, and Frenkie de Jong, who’s been part of the team since 2018.
That said, Simons has been a key component on the team under Ronald Koeman, starting the team’s most recent match against Ecuador.
Simons had made 34 appearances for the national team.
