Tottenham Hotspur are carrying out a detailed investigation into both the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch and the club's training ground surfaces as part of a wider effort to understand the injury problems that disrupted their season.
After a relegation-threatened campaign heavily affected by player absences, Spurs are now examining multiple areas across the club's football operation in an attempt to understand why injuries continued to mount and how those issues can be reduced moving forward.
Why are Tottenham looking at the stadium and training ground pitches?
Tottenham have launched extensive testing of playing surfaces at both the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the club's training ground as part of a larger review into the team's injury record.
The club endured another season heavily impacted by injuries, with key players including Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and James Maddison suffering anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, while Dejan Kulusevski also missed significant action after knee problems.
Performance director Dan Lewindon, who joined from City Football Group, has been leading the review process aimed at identifying areas requiring improvement.
Initial findings are understood to have found little difference between the playing characteristics of the stadium pitch and the training ground surfaces, including how the turf behaves and responds, per the Daily Mail.
However, Tottenham are now working with an external partner to conduct a much more detailed investigation involving wider testing across both locations.
The pitch analysis forms only one part of a broader operation.
The club are also reportedly examining training methods, communication between coaching and medical departments, player rehabilitation processes and squad management structures.
Fresh measures are expected to include smaller player ‘pods' with dedicated support teams consisting of physiotherapists, sports science staff and strength and conditioning specialists.
Managerial instability has also reportedly been identified as a possible contributing factor after Spurs changed managers multiple times during the season, potentially exposing players to differing training methods and tactical demands.
Concerns over reinjuries have also become an area of focus, with the club seeking closer alignment between coaching staff and medical departments moving forward.
FGG says: Looking beyond the obvious may be the right approach
When injury problems reach the level Tottenham experienced, attention naturally turns towards visible factors like pitches and training surfaces.
But the early findings here suggest the answer may be more complicated than simply blaming the grass.
What stands out is the extent of the review – rather than isolating one issue, Spurs are examining everything, ranging from workload management, communication pathways, recovery protocols, to the overall structure of how player care is coordinated.
If the club can identify a cluster of smaller contributing factors, instead of chasing one definitive explanation, the investigation could ultimately prove more valuable.
A holistic diagnosis offers the chance for meaningful, lasting improvement, rather than a quick fix like relaying a surface or tweaking a training drill.