Tottenham Hotspur are desperate to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, but their hopes have taken a huge hit after Mohammed Kudus suffered a setback on his return from injury.
The Ghana international hasn't featured for the club since January due to a quadriceps injury, but had recently returned to first-team training and was expected to make an imminent return, right in time for new manager Roberto De Zerbi to call upon him as a potential saviour.
However, the 25-year-old has now suffered a recurrence of the issue and may be required to undergo surgery, which could see him not only miss the rest of the season, but also this summer's World Cup.
De Zerbi Must Find Alternative Solution
Having arrived in north London on a five-year contract, De Zerbi has seven games to preserve Tottenham's Premier League status before he can begin a rebuild in the summer.
The former Brighton boss is known to be a huge fan of Kudus, having tried to sign him while he was in charge of the Seagulls, and he would have been relying on his return from injury to give the team a major boost in the final weeks of the season.
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have not been available all season after dealing with serious knee injuries, and neither are likely to make a return before the end of the season, while winger Wilson Odobert is also a long-term absentee after rupturing his ACL.
But with Kudus also now unavailable, De Zerbi must find an alternative solution, and when looking at the squad he has at his disposal, there is a very obvious choice when deciding who should become the creative fulcrum of the team for the rest of the season.
De Zerbi Must Unlock Xavi Simons to Avoid Relegation
During the summer window Xavi Simons was signed for big money and was expected to become the main man in the team, but he struggled to adapt to English football quickly.
The 22-year-old, described as a 'magician', has managed just four goals and five assists in all competitions this season. But he managed two of those goals in the recent Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, before being bafflingly dropped by Igor Tudor for the next Premier League game.
His talent is undeniable, and it's clear that he has the ability to be the main man. He has shown that for the Netherlands and for RB Leipzig already in his short career. Now it's time for De Zerbi to hand him the keys at Spurs, and unlock him to save the club from the drop.