Tottenham Hotspur are assessing the fitness of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons and striker Dominic Solanke after both players sustained injuries during a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Saturday match leaves manager Roberto De Zerbi navigating a fitness crisis as the club battles Premier League relegation with four games remaining.
What was supposed to be a straightforward final stretch of the campaign has turned into a survival mission for Tottenham Hotspur. While a decisive 82nd-minute winner from Joao Palhinha secured the club’s first league victory at Molineux in 16 matches, the triumph came at a heavy cost against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Double Injury Blow at Molineux
The setbacks arrived in quick succession during the Saturday fixture. Dominic Solanke was forced off the pitch in the 40th minute due to a muscular problem, disrupting Tottenham’s attacking shape. Shortly after the break, Xavi Simons followed his teammate down the tunnel, replaced in the 63rd minute after suffering a knee issue.
Speaking to reporters after the match, manager Roberto De Zerbi outlined the immediate uncertainty surrounding both players. The club planned to assess their fitness in the days following the fixture.
“Solanke has a muscular injury. I don’t know what level of injury, and for Xavi it’s a problem of the knee, and we’re going to see in the next days, Monday or Tuesday. For Solanke, it’s not a big problem. I don’t know how many games we lose him, but I would like to know the real situation of Xavi, because the knee is always different than the muscular injury.”
Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham manager, via channelnewsasia.com
The distinction between the two injuries carries weight for a squad fighting to avoid its first relegation from top-flight football since 1977. While Solanke’s muscular issue appears manageable, the unknown severity of a knee problem for a creative player creates anxiety.
Simons, De Zerbi, and a Brutal Campaign
For Xavi Simons, the latest knee concern compounds what has already been a frustrating debut campaign in North London. Following a major summer transfer, the Dutch international endured a turbulent season under previous management before finding a surge of form upon Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival.
Despite gross mismanagement earlier in the season, Simons established himself as a center midfielder in the squad, drawing comparisons to his previous stints at PSV and RB Leipzig. Yet that momentum was halted when the midfielder suffered an ACL tear toward the end of the 2025/26 season, keeping him sidelined during the relegation battle.
Even while incapacitated, Simons has repeatedly voiced his dedication to the club. Reflecting on the emotional toll of his recovery, the midfielder admitted that missing the fight against relegation hurt more than the physical pain.
“I was crying with my family. I was thinking, ‘I’m missing the most important thing, helping my club to fight for the relegation.”
Xavi Simons, Tottenham midfielder, via Yahoo Sports
Building Culture Amid the Relegation Fight
The mutual admiration between Simons and De Zerbi has emerged as a bright spot during a tumultuous campaign. In an interview on The Sports Agent Podcast with Gabby Logan, Simons detailed how the manager transformed the club’s internal atmosphere from his very first day on the training ground.
“Yeah, even when I when I got injured, I was still one week in in the training ground. You could feel the atmosphere was different, you could feel, yeah, the people were more together as a club, not only as a players group, but I mean like the whole club. And Roberto [De Zerbi] came in, and you could really feel that from the day one. And when you have a coach like that that gives you the confidence and really believe in the project and in the players, then everything can change.”
Xavi Simons, Tottenham midfielder, via Yahoo Sports
That cultural shift has kept the squad unified despite lingering near the foot of the table. Tottenham currently sits 18th in the Premier League standings, accumulating 34 points from 34 matches, leaving them two points away from safety.
The Final Run-In
With only four games remaining on the schedule, the margin for error has evaporated. The physical toll on the roster complicates a closing schedule that begins with an away fixture against Aston Villa on Sunday.
How De Zerbi pieces together his attack without a fully fit Solanke and while managing the ongoing recovery timeline of Simons will define whether Tottenham can scrape its way out of the relegation zone before the season closes.
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