At a glance:
- Tottenham lose Xavi Simons due to a torn ACL
- Third ACL injury for Spurs this season
- Only one attacker has avoided injuries
Tottenham Hotspur have suffered another injury blow as Xavi Simons has confirmed that he has an ACL injury.
The Netherlands international went down with a knee injury against Wolves on Saturday, April 25. He joined James Maddison and Wilson Odobert in having suffered ACL injuries this season.
Moreover, Dominic Solanke also went down with a hamstring injury against Wolves. Spurs have just three fit senior attackers at the moment. This is nothing new either, as injuries have affected them all season.
A look at Tottenham’s attacking injuries this season
Spurs have scored just 42 goals in 33 Premier League games this season, which is nowhere close to being good enough.
This has certainly played a big part in them being in the relegation battle. However, they haven’t been helped by the incredible number of injuries their attack has sustained.
Dejan Kulusevski and Maddison, who were among Tottenham’s Top 3 players last season, haven’t played a single game this campaign. Simons has now suffered an ACL injury and will be out for the season. Odobert also suffered one in February and is out for the season.
Hence, all of Spurs’ creative players have suffered long-term knee injuries, with three of them sustaining ACL injuries. However, the injury crisis doesn’t end here. PSG loanee Randal Kolo Muani missed around six weeks due to a dead leg earlier this season.
Moreover, Solanke suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for around five months. He has suffered a hamstring injury now and could miss the remainder of the season as well. Richarlison also missed around six weeks due to a hamstring injury.
Mohammed Kudus, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring injury in January. He was expected to return earlier this month, but is now out for the season due to a major setback.
Also Read: Tottenham: Dominic Solanke injury update after coming off vs Wolves
Mathys Tel is the only senior Tottenham attacker who hasn’t suffered an injury this season. It could also be because of how underutilized he has been under the three coaches this season.
Tottenham’s recruitment decisions look worse and worse
The aforementioned list is only about attackers. However, Rodrigo Bentancur, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro, and Lucas Bergvall have all suffered injuries this season.
Now, no club can plan for such an unprecedented injury crisis. However, one can certainly plan after it happens.
Spurs came into the season without Kulusevski and Maddison and had sold Son Heung-min. They then sold Brennan Johnson in January, while losing Kudus due to an injury. However, the board didn’t deem it necessary to buy at least one attacker in January.
The likes of Rayan, Ademola Lookman, and Oscar Bobb were all available on the market and moved to other clubs.
However, Tottenham Sporting Director Johan Lange stated that he didn’t want to panic. Their poor decision-making has now put Spurs on the verge of relegation.
Also Read: Tottenham dealt massive Arsenal blow in race for ‘interesting’ £52m defender
With just four games remaining, Tottenham need to win at least two and manage a draw, if not more. However, with just three fit attacking players and no creative midfielders, it seems improbable.
