Xavi Simons: Virgil van Dijk and James Maddison send messages after crushing Tottenham injury news
Xavi Simons says he is “heartbroken” after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, as Tottenham Hotspur and Netherlands teammates send their condolences.
Just over 24 hours after Tottenham ended their 15-game winless run in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at Wolves on Saturday, Roberto De Zerbi has been handed another injury blow.
Just after the hour mark at Molineux, Simons – who was Tottenham’s best player in the 2-2 draw with Brighton – was replaced by Lucas Bergvall, and it has since emerged that he will be out for around eight months.
He may have played his last game for relegation-threatened Tottenham, while his World Cup hopes with the Dutch are over.
Tottenham star Simons uploaded an emotional message about his injury on social media on Sunday night, prompting James Maddison, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, and more to sympathise with the 23-year-old.
🤕 TOTTENHAM INJURY UPDATE 🤕
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Xavi Simons laments ‘cruel’ injury but backs Tottenham to stay up
Tottenham fans cannot believe their luck, or lack of it, after losing Simons and teammate Dominic Solanke to injury against Wolves.
While Solanke could yet play again this season, Simons is likely to be out for much of 2026. Spurs next face Champions League-chasing Aston Villa, as their challenges continue to mount.
| Tottenham’s injury crisis | Injury/potential return |
| Dejan Kulusevski | Knee – June |
| Mohammed Kudus | Thigh – Unknown |
| Wilson Odobert | Knee – Late November |
| Guglielmo Vicario | Hernia – Early May |
| Ben Davies | Ankle – Early May |
| Cristian Romero | Knee – June |
| Xavi Simons | ACL – December |
| Dominic Solanke | Muscular – Unknown |
Although Simons cannot help Tottenham on the pitch, the former RB Leipzig man vowed to do everything he could off it.
He wrote on Instagram, “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. 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. Representing my country this summer…just gone. It’ll take 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. TTP. COYS.”
Tottenham teammate Micky van de Ven posted five white love hearts in the comments section, while fellow Dutchman Van Dijk put a love heart and a praying emoji.
Maddison followed suit with a white love heart.
Odds stacked against Tottenham
Tottenham endured a rollercoaster of emotions on Saturday.
At one point, they were four points behind 17th-placed West Ham, then they were level, before ending the day two points back after the Hammers’ 2-1 win over Everton.
Tottenham are still favourites to go down with already-relegated Burnley and Wolves, but De Zerbi will do his utmost to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Tottenham have a tough fixture list, including games against fifth-placed Villa, lowly Leeds United, FA Cup finalists Chelsea, and European hopefuls Everton.
They may need to win at least three more games to guarantee their survival, which is a tall order amidst their injury crisis.
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