The latest Spurs team news and injury updates ahead of a vital match against Aston Villa.
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Tottenham Hotspur may have eked out a much-needed win at Wolves over the weekend, but those three points came at a cost – with both Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons leaving the field with injuries which could derail Roberto De Zerbi’s plans for the rest of the relegation battle.
Solanke and Simons are now among a list of 10 first-team players who are either out or doubts for a challenging trip to Aston Villa on Sunday which also includes Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr and first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
With kick-off on the horizon, we’ve collected all of the latest Spurs injury news and updates ahead of a crucial Premier League match, along with the stricken players’ expected return dates when available.
How bad are the injuries to Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke?
The greatest cause for concern after the Wolves match centred on Xavi Simons, who was stretchered off just after the hour mark with what appeared to be a serious injury – and so it has proven, following confirmation that the Dutchman has ruptured his ACL.
Simons, who described himself as “heartbroken” in a social media post, is now not expected to play again until 2027, ruling him out of the World Cup. He will undergo surgery in the coming weeks before beginning what will likely prove to be a very lengthy period of rehabilitation.
While the injury which forced Dominic Solanke off five minutes before half-time does not appear to be quite so serious, the striker could also be set for another spell on the sidelines. Having pulled up when chasing down a loose ball, Solanke appeared to be holding his knee and underwent treatment on the pitch before the decision was made to replace him with Richarlison.
Speaking after the match, De Zerbi told the media that Solanke had “suffered a muscular injury... It’s not a big problem, I don’t know how many games we will lose him.” No further prognosis is available at the time of publication, and the former Bournemouth man is expected to undergo tests over the course of the week. As it stands, he is a significant doubt for the Aston Villa game.
Udogie, Sarr and Vicario among Spurs doubts for Aston Villa showdown
Among several players who could also be absent for the away game at Aston Villa next weekend are Destiny Udogie, who missed out against Wolves with an undisclosed muscular injury which De Zerbi said was “not a big problem” – the Spurs head coach added that he expected his compatriot to be fit to face Aston Villa.
First-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is expected to return to full training from the start of this week after hernia surgery, and could reclaim his starting spot between the sticks. It’s not yet clear whether he might be joined in training by Pape Matar Sarr, who wasn’t involved last week due to a shoulder injury. He stands a chance of facing Aston Villa, but the likelihood of that remains uncertain. There is also an outside chance that Ben Davies makes the matchday squad as he continues his recovery from ankle surgery.
Spurs still have several long-term injury victims, although James Maddison’s return to the bench for the Wolves game suggests that one name, at least, is off that list even as Simons sadly joins it: Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski (both knee) are all expected to be out until the start of next season, while Wilson Odobert (ACL) is targeting a return in the winter.