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Xavi Simons's ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament was Tottenham's 36th separate injury of this disastrous season and parts of the Spurs fanbase have been scrutinising the role played by the medical staff during Saturday's game.

Shortly after the 23-year-old midfielder fell to the ground, he climbed to his feet and attempted to run off the injury. Xavi collapsed in front of the Spurs medical staff and subsequently left the field on a stretcher.

Videos of this incident have been posted on social media by Spurs fans, with many joining in a debate over why their side have been dogged by serious injuries across consecutive seasons.

On Monday morning, the north Londoners confirmed that the Netherlands international will undergo surgery in the coming weeks before beginning a rehabilitation programme. Simons has become the fourth Tottenham player to rupture an Anterior Cruciate Ligament since the start of last year, and the seventh to suffer a knee injury during the same period.

This is the second successive season Tottenham have had a crippling injury list, spanning three different permanent managers and playing styles, under Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Robert De Zerbi - with a handful of matches under interim Igor Tudor as well.

Speaking to football.london, Ben Dinnery of PremierInjuries.com has broken down the numbers around Tottenham's two seasons of injury woe and explained why there are multiple factors to consider.

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What is the key injury data?

Premier League – 2024/25

Only Brighton chalked up more days lost to injuries (1944) than Tottenham (1553) in the Premier League.

The Seagulls were also the only team to suffer more time-loss injuries (48) than Spurs (41).

Premier League – up until gameweek 32 of 2025/26

Only Arsenal have suffered as many injuries as Tottenham (32). However, Spurs have since sustained five more, losing Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr, Dominic Solanke, and Simons to the treatment room.

Of the 37 injuries this season, at least 22 were muscle injuries and strains or knee injuries.

The Lilywhites have tallied more days lost due to injury (1278) than any other club; they're closely followed by Newcastle United (1106) and Arsenal (974).

When quizzed on the social media criticism of Tottenham staff, injury analysis expert Dinnery said: "It's something that's always levied at the backroom team when we see high amount of incidents.

"Initially, when people see a high number of injuries, they instantly default back to the club's medical staff.

"The reality of the situation is depending on the types of injury and depending on the mechanism of that injury, i.e. how it happened, it will have little or absolutely nothing to do with the medical staff. For the most part, they're reactive.

"So, injury occurs, they are then passed on to physiotherapists and club doctors. It's just people not really understanding the whole process."

According to Premier Injuries, only Brighton chalked up more days lost to injuries (1944) than Tottenham (1553) in the Premier League last season. The Seagulls were also the only team to suffer more time-loss injuries (48) than Spurs (41).

Dinnery highlighted the case of Dejan Kulusevski, saying: "Long-term injuries, the road to recovery is rarely smooth and straight."

The Tottenham midfielder suffered a complicated knee injury during a clash against Crystal Palace back in May 2025, and hasn't featured since. Speaking to reporters ahead of the clash against Wolves, Roberto De Zerbi described Kulusevski as one of his 'perfect players'.

"There will be peaks and troughs, setbacks along the way," added the injury analysis expert. "Obviously, some injuries are a little bit more complicated than others.

"There's definitely been a move away from sort of time-based recovery programmes. So, in the past, you may have seen things around, players with an ACL injury will look to maybe that 12-week mark for running. Now, it's a lot more criterion-based, where they will look at certain activities, certain exercises for players to move and progress on to."

Dinnery also pointed out that recovery time varies from player to player. He said: "It's based on the individual, how their response is to that treatment and whether they suffer any reaction along the way. If all is well and they progress and they move and they get a green light, then they move on to the next stage of that recovery and rehab programme.

"If it's not, if there's an adverse reaction, they take a step back. So, we're moving away from those sort of set-in-stone timelines. We have a good understanding of how long, in theory, these recovery timelines should take based on big data sets.

"But like I said, it's down to the individual. The Kulusevski one was a fairly complex injury. And again, if you were to look at that, then people can look at maybe the James Madison one, if you want to think about those timelines.

"And based upon what we've seen across the Premier League over the last maybe 15 years, then James Madison has returned ahead of schedule. Around sort of two to three weeks [early]."

Maddison, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the summer, has only recently returned to first-team action. The 29-year-old midfielder has been named in the matchday squad in each of Spurs' last two Premier League games, but he's yet to take to the field.

Dinnery continued: "I think Maddison has done maybe 250-ish days for an ACL recovery, whereas Premier League averages in the 270 to 280 range. There's never one magic bullet that solves everything. They are typically multifactorial.

"There will be several influencing factors. And so to sort of generalise across the board is probably a little bit lazy and a little bit naive. If you're going to start taking aim, then really you need to understand the types of injuries, where they occurred and how they occurred.

"And look at the likes of player loading, et cetera. Because, like I say, football ultimately still is a contact sport, so there are going to be injuries.

Dinnery added: " Take Destiny Udogie. One of the biggest risk factors or predictors of injury risk is history, so you tend to see players who've had injuries in the past will be more susceptible and carry a significant risk of suffering injuries in the future.

"Dominic Solanke. He's coming back as well off several injuries this season and getting himself back up to full fitness. Pape Sarr, that was a shoulder injury. The initial problem was done while on international duty."

Managerial change can increase injuries

Last month, De Zerbi became the third head coach to take the hot seat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

In terms of playing styles and intensity, Tottenham have lurched between approaches, with Postecoglou's high-press style frequently blamed last season as a key factor for muscle injuries.

There have also been changes behind the scenes with managers or head coaches bringing in their own backroom teams.

Dinnery said: "There was a body of research that was done with regards to managerial changes or the replacement of key staff within the clubs, and the impact that it would have on injury incidents and specifically they looked at hamstring injuries, and they did vary.

"Ultimately, there was an increase. How big that increase was would be dependent upon at what point the new head coach came on board, so Thomas Frank before the start of the season.

"Those [injury] numbers will grow further if those new coaches brought in new heads of fitness or performance or doctors, head of medical departments, etc.

"The obvious one for performance is the old 'we need the players to work harder' edict, so you're talking about different methodologies, different philosophies, the physical demands placed upon the players, slightly different roles, all of those are considerations to make.

"Then, if you're talking about [a change of] head of medical, head of performance, it just takes time to build up those relations as well with the players and understand where they are, their needs, and there needs to be that level of trust.

"So again, all of these things seem to be coming together to create that little bit of a perfect storm..."

Tottenham and West Ham have just four Premier League games left to play with both London clubs fighting for their top-flight futures

Tottenham and West Ham have merely four fixtures remaining before their Premier League destiny is sealed. But who would be confronting relegation if their forthcoming results replicated the reverse matches?

The struggle for top-flight survival will shortly reach its climax, with Wolves and Burnley already relegated. One drop zone spot remains and it is presently held by Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham.

Spurs were without a win in 2026 before defeating Wolves 1-0 on Saturday and despite this triumph, remain in 18th, heading for the Championship as matters stand. Both Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have strung together results in recent weeks and while they could be pulled back into the battle, West Ham find themselves in 17th.

The Hammers secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Everton at the weekend and they possess two additional points compared to Tottenham. With merely four matches remaining, football.london examines Spurs and West Ham's run-in and what transpired the previous time they encountered their remaining opponents.

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Starting with Tottenham's fixture list, they make the journey to Villa Park on Sunday to take on the top-five-chasing Aston Villa. Unai Emery's outfit currently sit in fifth position.

Villa face a midweek Europa League semi-final first leg against Forest, having claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture against Spurs. The two sides also crossed paths in the FA Cup, with Villa again edging out Tottenham 2-1 in January to knock them out of the competition.

De Zerbi's side return to league action with a home fixture against Leeds United on May 11. When Tottenham visited Elland Road back in October, they emerged victorious 2-1 against their upcoming opponents.

Spurs round off their campaign with an away trip to Chelsea before hosting Everton at their own ground. Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat against their London rivals in November, having dismantled the Toffees 3-0 the month prior.

Should Tottenham replicate those four results, two defeats and two victories, they would conclude the season on 40 points. West Ham's forthcoming opponents are Brentford, who triumphed 2-0 in the corresponding fixture back in October.

Nuno Espirito Santo's outfit then lock horns with current Premier League leaders Arsenal on May 10, a match in which the Gunners ran out 2-0 winners in the reverse encounter.

The Hammers subsequently travel to Newcastle United before a potentially pivotal final-day home clash against Leeds with significant relegation ramifications. West Ham defeated the Magpies 3-1 in November but succumbed to a 2-1 loss against Leeds in October.

Should those reverse results be replicated, West Ham would finish with three defeats and a solitary win, theoretically dropping out of the division on 39 points.

Naturally, both sides could produce different outcomes than the reverse fixtures, for better or worse, as both demonstrated on Saturday. Spurs had drawn 1-1 with Wolves in the earlier meeting before securing victory, while West Ham similarly shared the points, being held by Everton when the teams clashed in September.

Full list of 36 Tottenham injuries this season after devastating Xavi Simons blow

Tottenham are sweating over plenty of fitness issues with just four games to save their skin from relegation to the Championship

Xavi Simons' serious knee injury has handed Tottenham yet another vicious blow in their battle for safety.

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Spurs secured a vital away win at Wolves on Saturday but the loss of Simons has only compounded their fitness issues amongst the squad. The club confirmed that the 23-year-old ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will undergo surgery in the coming weeks.

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With just four games remaining in the season, Roberto De Zerbi's side will be forced to fight for every point to ensure they stay in the Premier League.

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Some long-term absentees have begun to make their return to the matchday squad, including James Maddison. The midfielder had missed the majority of the season with an ACL tear but appeared on the bench in their draw with Brighton and against Wolves.

However, Spurs will need more from their entire squad if they are to find a way out of the relegation zone. West Ham sit just two points above them but are on a three-game unbeaten run, with Brentford up next.

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Meanwhile, Tottenham got their first win of 2026 at the Molineux Stadium, with Joao Pahlinha scoring late on to claim all three points. With a tough trip to Aston Villa awaiting Spurs next on Sunday, De Zerbi's side will have to hope that no more key players falter in their bid to avoid relegation.

Throughout the season, the north London outfit has battled injuries to many key figures in the dressing room. Currently, there are nine first-team stars missing, including Simons.

Here, football.london has detailed all the injuries Tottenham have suffered across the 2025/26 season and who remains out heading into gameweek 35.

Article continues below

Every Tottenham injury this season and who will miss the Premier League run-in:

Guglielmo Vicario: The first-choice goalkeeper has been out since the loss to Sunderland after undergoing an operation for a hernia. His return date is currently unknown.

Cristian Romero: The club captain missed part of October 2025 with an abductor injury and was also suspended after being sent off against Manchester United. He is now out with a knee injury and will miss the rest of the season.

Kevin Danso: The defender missed four games with a toe injury but returned to the squad against Fulham in March.

Radu Dragusin: The Romanian missed the first half of the season with an ACL injury and returned against Crystal Palace in December. An unknown injury forced him out for one game in March but he has since returned.

Ben Davies: The experienced defender missed five games in October and November 2025 with a hamstring injury. Davies is now out after undergoing surgery on a broken ankle and has been missing since January.

Kota Takai: The centre-half missed the beginning of the season with a foot injury and is now on loan to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Destiny Udogie: Two separate knee and hamstring injuries forced him out for 14 games before he returned against Nottingham Forest in March. He is now back on the absentee list with a muscle injury sustained against Brighton but hopes to return against Aston Villa.

Djed Spence: Spence missed four games in total with calf issues across January and February. He returned in March.

Pedro Porro: The vital defender missed four games at the beginning of 2026 with a hamstring injury but has since returned.

Rodrigo Bentancur: The midfielder was out for 11 games with hamstring issues but returned against Brighton.

Joao Pahlinha: The weekend hero missed two separate games in January and March with a knock and concussion, respectively. He returned to the bench against Forest and has become somewhat of an impact substitute.

Yves Bissouma: The midfielder had missed the majority of the season with a serious knee injury, only returning after the Africa Cup of Nations in January. A muscle injury kept him out for two games in March but he has since gotten back to fitness.

Lucas Bergvall: A concussion and groin injury had Bergvall miss two games in November and December. An ankle sprain put him out for eight games in total in 2026 but he is back in the squad.

Archie Gray: The 20-year-old missed two games earlier in the season with a calf injury but has been in thw matchday team since November.

Pape Matar Sarr: A shoulder injury sustained against Sunderland ruled Sarr out of the games against Brighton and Wolves. His return date is currently unknown.

Xavi Simons: A serious knee injury suffered against Wolves has tragically ruled the Dutchman out of the rest of the season, as well as the World Cup.

Dejan Kulusevski: The Swede has been posted missing for the entire season due to a knee injury that required surgery. However, he hopes to be included in his national team for the World Cup, with a return to club football unlikely.

James Maddison: The England international suffered an ACL injury during preseason and he has been out of action for the majority of the campaign. He recently returned to the bench and will be hoping to make a return before the season's end.

Wilson Odebert: The winger suffered an ACL tear in Tottenham's 2-1 loss to Newcastle in February. He was set to undergo surgery and will not return to action this season.

Mohammed Kudus: The former West Ham star missed one game in November 2025 and has now been out since January with a thigh issue. Reports confirm that surgery may be required with a return date currently unknown.

Dominic Solanke: The formidable striker missed 19 games after surgery on his ankle to fix a persistent issue. He returned against Burnley in January.

Richarlison: The Brazilian missed five games in 2026 with a hamstring injury but made his comeback against Arsenal in February.

Randal Kolo Muani: The PSG loanee missed two games earlier in the season with a muscle issue but has been a prominent figure in the squad since October.

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Xavi Simons was stretchered off the pitch during Saturday's clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves as he jarred his knee, and has since learned the reality of his issue

A "heartbroken" Xavi Simons faces up to eight months out after rupturing his ACL at the weekend.

The Dutchman was chasing a stray ball alongside Hugo Bueno during Saturday's crunch Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves, when he jarred his knee on the turf.

Simons instantly went to ground, writing in pain, as Spurs medical staff quickly rushed over to treat him before he eventually left Molineux on a stretcher. And now, the 23-year-old has learned the full extent of his injury.

Not only will Netherlands international Simons miss the rest of the season with Spurs, but he will also be unavailable for this summer's World Cup in North America in a devastating turn of events. And taking to Instagram, the attacking-midfielder shared a highly-emotional update.

He wrote: "They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it.

"Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense. All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me... along with the World Cup.

"Representing my country this summer... just gone. It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best teammate I can be.

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"I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight. I’ll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief, as I count down the days to getting back out there. Be patient with me. TTP. COYS."

It comes as yet another bitter blow as Spurs look to avoid relegation to the Championship for the first time since the Premier League's inception in 1992.

At the time of writing, the Lilywhites sit 18th in the league standings headed into their final four matches of the season, two points shy of safety.

And Simons is not the only star that the club will be without as they look to finish strong against Aston Vila, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton next month.

Cristian Romero is out of action for around eight weeks after partially tearing his ACL against Sunderland AFC, while Wilson Odobert is also on the long road to recovery for a knee issue.

Dejan Kulusevski is yet to represent his club this season owing to his own knee problem, while Ben Davies looks unlikely to play for Spurs again - out of contract this season and recovering from a fractured ankle sustained against West Ham in January.

James Maddison has been named on the bench for the past two games, but is still not match fit.

Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Chelsea will need to be rearranged after the Blues beat Leeds United to reach the FA Cup final

The Premier League will need to rearrange one of Tottenham Hotspur’s final Premier League fixtures before the end of the season. The decision will need to be made after Chelsea defeated Leeds United in the semi-final of the FA Cup.

The Blues claimed a 1-0 victory over Leeds at Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with Enzo Fernandez scoring the winning goal for Calum McFarlane’s side.

The win means that Chelsea will face Manchester City in the FA Cup final next month, after City secured their spot in the final with a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday.

The final between Chelsea and City will be played at Wembley on Saturday, May 16. This is the same weekend that Spurs are scheduled to face the Blues in the Premier League, in a game that will now need to be rearranged.

The Premier League will be expected to announce the new date for the fixture in due course, but there seems to be only a small window in which the match at Stamford Bridge could be played.

Tottenham and Chelsea are both in Premier League action next weekend, where Spurs will face Aston Villa on Sunday, May 3, while the Blues will take on Nottingham Forest on Monday, May 4.

It’s because of Chelsea playing on the Monday night that the game against Tottenham is likely not to be rescheduled for a week between May 4-10.

The Blues then return to Premier League duties on Saturday, May 9 where they will travel to face Liverpool at Anfield.

Spurs will then face Leeds United in the same game week on Monday, May 11 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It’s because of this fixture that another midweek will be ruled out for the game between Tottenham and Chelsea.

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Chelsea will then face City in the FA Cup final on May 16 and it’s after this date that Spurs can then expect to face the Blues.

The clash between Chelsea and Tottenham is likely to fall in the week following the FA Cup final and before the final day of the Premier League season on May 24.

This would mean Tottenham facing Chelsea in a midweek game, then taking on Everton in their final league fixture of the campaign.

For Chelsea, this would mean the Blues facing City in the FA Cup final, a rearranged fixture against Tottenham, and a Premier League finale against Sunderland all within a week.

Tottenham star Xavi Simons has responded to the victory over Wolves with a positive message despite concerns he has suffered a huge injury

Xavi Simons has sent a 'trust the process' message on his Instagram story after suffering a potentially major injury in Tottenham's win over Wolves. Simons was stretchered off just after the hour-mark at Molineux with fears he may have suffered an ACL injury.

The Netherlands international, who would miss the World Cup if the worst is confirmed, has alleviated some concerns by reposting Spurs' winning match graphic onto his Instagram story with the caption, "TTP always [white heart emoji]."

Though relegation rivals West Ham United also picked up three points, it was a huge victory for the Lilywhites. However, it has somewhat been overshadowed by two injury blows with Dominic Solanke the other player forced off.

Speaking on the injuries, Roberto De Zerbi said: "For Xavi it is a problem of his knee. We go to see in the next days. Monday or Tuesday. For Solanke it is not a big problem. I don’t know how many games we lose him but I would like to know the situation with Xavi because the knee is always different than the muscular injury."

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On Simons, he later added: "He felt pain. Now I spoke to him two, three minutes ago. He feels better than the beginning of the injury."

De Zerbi will be hoping Simons can feature in the final few games with James Maddison, despite being named in the last two matchday squads, not guaranteed to return from his ACL injury this season

If Simons is indeed ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, Tottenham could have no attacking midfielders fit and available.

When asked about how he would solve any creativity issues, De Zerbi said: "We can play with Mathys Tel on the left. Kolo Muani on the right. Souza on the right. [Lucas] Bergvall on the left. We have to create.

"I don’t want to change too much (like) three defenders or four defenders, I don’t want to put more confusion on the players, especially this season because they changed a lot of tactical disposition. I want to be clear and simple but for your question, we need to stay strong in the head and positive in ourselves."

It was a scrappy goal from Joao Palhinha that ultimately sealed a first three points in four months for Spurs with more conviction in front of goal needed if they are to survive.

A trip to Aston Villa is up next for Spurs with Unai Emery's side facing Nottingham Forest in a Europa League semi-final either side of their game. Spurs host Leeds the following weekend.

Chelsea and Everton are Tottenham's two final games of the season while West Ham face Brentford, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Leeds.

Here are our Tottenham talking points after their 1-0 victory at Wolves finally ended their 15-game winless streak in the Premier League

Ultimately all Tottenham could do was their job and for the first time in the Premier League in 2026 they did it.

After 118 days they were finally able to head over to their 3,000 travelling fans and celebrate. Micky van de Ven sprinted across while Roberto De Zerbi pumped his fists at them in delight. The result had not gone their way back in London with West Ham grabbing a winner of their own against Everton but that could not be controlled.

Spurs just had to remember how to win a game of football and if it was an ugly 1-0 victory against the Premier League's already-relegated bottom side then so be it.

The alternative was being cast adrift with their hosts and Burnley after the Wolves fans had sung "You're going down with the Wanderers" and "Tottenham away" with the expectation of next season in the Championship.

Yet Tottenham managed to make it past the taunts and the chants and it remains the case that just two points separate them from safety. That means there's a chance.

De Zerbi's men got the win despite injuries continuing to wreak havoc. Dominic Solanke went down with what looked like a tight muscle just 38 minutes into the contest and then Xavi Simons injured his knee on the hour mark after jolting it while being challenged by Hugo Bueno.

He was carried off on a stretcher and Tottenham had to find a way to score without their playmaker. James Maddison was named among the substitutes but remains essentially a cheerleader on the bench after feeling pain in the week as he recovers from his ACL injury.

Yet Spurs huffed and puffed and eventually in the 82nd minute it was they who blew the Wolves' door down.

Half-time substitute Mathys Tel chased down a ball he had no right to get to, won it off Bueno before winning a corner.

Pedro Porro's subsequent flag kick caused problems in the box and Richarlison's stab at the ball only caused it to squirm diagonally to where his fellow substitute Joao Palhinha, was on hand to slide the ball into the net past Jose Sa. All three substitutes had helped create the goal, along with Porro.

It sparked wild celebrations from the Tottenham players but the job was not done yet. Wolves had nothing to play for other than pride in front of the Molineux crowd but that was enough to push them on against a nervous away side.

Deep into added time, Antonin Kinsky made one of the best saves thus far in his young career. The 23-year-old flung himself high to his left and at full stretch tipped away Joao Gomes' curling free-kick as it dipped underneath the crossbar.

It was a brave save from the goalkeeper, knowing full well that he would crash into the post on his way down.

He had no hesitation though and for Kinsky, who had made another crucial intervention to stop Adam Armstrong earlier in the second half, it was a moment of true redemption. His horror night in Madrid is now firmly in the rear view mirror after three strong displays between the sticks.

"He deserves this day, because he played very well today," said De Zerbi in his press conference. "Especially today, he was crucial for the result. He deserves everything, because he's a good guy, he's a good keeper. Especially after Madrid, he deserves one day like today."

In even plainer language, Maddison posted on Instagram: "Brilliant mate. Huge (insert part of the male anatomy here) to bounce back last few weeks. Showing your quality."

Tottenham cleared the ensuing corner and before the ball had touched the floor, referee Anthony Taylor blew his whistle and everybody exhaled. The again excellent Rodrigo Bentancur ran over to Kinsky and made sure the Czech was well aware that he had played a huge part.

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The woeful run was over. Spurs had avoided equalling the club record of 16 consecutive league games without a win, set all the way back in the 1934/35 campaign. It was also their first Premier League victory at Molineux since 2021. The Tottenham head coach that day was Nuno Espirito Santo, now the West Ham boss and desperate to ensure his old side go down instead than his current one.

It was a crazy eight-minute spell at the end of the two games. Spurs' goal gave them hope and then Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made it even better briefly as he netted for Everton at West Ham to lift the north London club out of the bottom three.

Tottenham were only able to gulp the air for four minutes though as just after Everton had a big chance to take the lead, Callum Wilson slotted home an added time winner for the Hammers to jump back above their London rivals and send them back into the depths.

At Molineux, Kinsky at least ensured Spurs kept themselves in with a chance in the final moments.

"We have four finals [to come]. We need to do our jobs. Hopefully, this win can change things, give us a bit more motivation as well as it's been a long time without victories," said the other match-winner Palhinha, who has scored some of the big goals for Spurs this season.

"What we can control right now is doing our job until the end of the season and keeping the club where it belongs, which is the Premier League."

Tottenham needed something to change and De Zerbi has constantly said a long-awaited victory could do it.

"I think the players know what they are and what they can do on the pitch. Especially this season, because it's true, we didn't win a game in 2026, but finished fifth in the table in the Champions League," said the Italian.

"In the Champions League, I think it's not so easy or easier than the Premier League. So they have to be positive. They have to feel full confidence, because they are good and not to see the other results like West Ham. We have to move on and prepare for the next games. Now the first game is Villa Park and that's it."

The problem for De Zerbi is those constant injuries and he knows it.

"Yes I hope [this win changes things], but I wouldn't like to lose any other players, because Romero, Kudus, now Solanke and maybe Xavi," he said. "We can win the games with the players, not with the coaches. The coaches are important, but the players are more important."

Xavi's situation looked worrying. The Dutchman had struggled to make anywhere near the impact he did against Brighton, but had found the odd way through Wolves' packed defence.

The first came after a terrific driven pass from Porro sent him into the box but he fired over as a Wolves challenge came in.

His injury came from a touch and drive down the right as he was challenged by Hugo Bueno. Xavi was immediately screaming in pain, clutching his right knee and surrounded by his concerned team-mates.

Then he got up, had a little jog around the side of the pitch with the medics and promptly fell back to the floor before being stretchered off. If Tottenham's injury-ravaged season was summed up in one moment - that was it.

De Zerbi admitted to football.london afterwards that he was more concerned about Xavi than Solanke although he took some hope from a conversation he had with the Dutchman just before coming into his press conference.

"For Xavi it is a problem of his knee. We will see in the next days, Monday or Tuesday. For Solanke it is not a big problem. I don’t know how many games we lose him but I would like to know the situation with Xavi because the knee is always different than the muscular injury," he said.

"He felt pain. Now I spoke to him two, three minutes ago. He feels better than the beginning of the injury."

If De Zerbi has lost Xavi then Spurs are back where they were at the end of last season, trying to achieve something and create goals without a playmaker.

Back then they had no James Maddison nor Dejan Kulusevski. A year on and nothing has changed in that respect and now Xavi could join them. He will have his knee scanned in the days ahead but Spurs fans will place little hope on a process that has only delivered bad news this season.

Without the 23-year-old, De Zerbi is left only with willing runners rather than creative forces.

Conor Gallagher will sprint around the pitch until he drops. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray will do the same. None of those three players are traditional number 10s though and De Zerbi hinted that it would have to be width that gets Spurs towards the goal if Xavi heads to the sidelines.

"We can play with Mathys Tel on the left. Kolo Muani on the right. Souza on the right. Bergvall on the left. We have to create," he said. "I don’t want to change too much (like) three defenders or four defenders, I don’t want to put more confusion on the players, especially this season because they changed a lot of tactical disposition.

"I want to be clear and simple but we need to stay strong in the head and positive in ourselves."

Kolo Muani is one of the most frustrating players De Zerbi has to call upon. The Frenchman has plenty of talent but wed to a yo-yoing level of consistency.

He began the game at Molineux looking like he could beat Hugo Bueno at will only to then spend the rest of the first half under-hitting passes to his team-mates or knocking it backwards as his confidence drained.

De Zerbi hooked him at half-time for Tel, who does not suffer from confidence issues, only decision-making in key areas. The younger Frenchman took the game to Wolves whenever he could and it was his energy and directness that earned that crucial corner in the 82nd minute.

The two Frenchmen could both be required in the remaining four matches of the season.

"Mathys Tel played 45 minutes very well," said De Zerbi. "At the beginning of the first half also Kolo Muani started very well the game and then he lost confidence.

"We have to go every day for lunch with Kolo Muani this week! Every day breakfast, lunch and dinner because he is a top player with potential and when he plays better he feels better on the pitch and he tried to go one v one, shoot, to do something more with more energy because he can do. He can do that."

Aside from chasing Kolo Muani around the canteen, De Zerbi needs to ensure this win is not simply a blip.

Up next is an immediate trip back up to the Midlands to face Aston Villa, between Unai Emery's side's two Europa League semi-final legs, before Leeds come to N17 eight days later.

The date of the trip to Stamford Bridge will be known after Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final against Leeds on Sunday before a final day clash with Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"I believe we can stay up," declared De Zerbi. "If I [am] here, it's because I'm positive. Not because I'm coach of Tottenham. The most important thing is the qualities of the players and the human level of the players.

"It was a surprise for me, because I didn't know them and when I knew better my players, I understood we have the possibility and chance to stay up. We have two points. Not 10 points. We are two points from West Ham. They are a good team, but also Tottenham have very good players and are a very good team.

"I work with them every day and all the players are professional, good guys and they are suffering for this situation. Just [need] to give them confidence and order on the pitch, because I didn't like the second half at all.

"We could play better, we have to play better, much better than the second half. We have to play like the first 30 minutes. Maybe creating more chances to score and more shots on goal."

That will be the key. Others around Tottenham have been scoring goals and taking points. The north London side have finally remembered how to win a game of football, but it needs to be just the beginning of their great escape.

Tottenham Hotspur secured a 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday afternoon as they kickstarted their fightback from relegation, but were handed another injury blow in the process

Tottenham Hotspur ran out 1-0 winners over Wolves on Saturday as they look to escape the frosty grip of relegation, but didn't do so unscathed.

Joao Palhinha's 82nd-minute strike proved decisive at Molineux, as Roberto De Zerbi secured his first victory at the reins of Spurs since his appointment in late March. However, it failed to make a difference to the Premier League standings, given West Ham also secured a 2-1 win over Everton at the London Stadium simultaneously.

As things stand, the Lilywhites remain 18th with just four games to go, two points adrift of safety. However, they look likely to head into their run of May fixtures with at least one player less, as the injuries within the Spurs camp continue to grow...

Xavi Simons

The attacking midfielder was in need of replacement just 63 minutes into this weekend's encounter, seemingly jarring his knee as he chased a loose ball alongside Hugo Bueno. While medical staff rushed onto the field of play to treat Simons, he was ultimately wheeled off on a stretcher, as the hearts of Spurs fans worldwide sank.

Speaking about the 23-year-old with the media in the aftermath of the game, De Zerbi explained: "For Xavi, it's a knee, and when there is a knee it's a more tough situation."

He added: "I would like to know the real situation of Xavi, because the knee is always different than the muscular injury. Xavi felt pain, but now I spoke with him two minutes ago, he feels better than at the beginning of the injury."

Potential return date: Unknown

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Dominic Solanke

Solanke, meanwhile, failed to even see out the first-half of the Wolves match, going down off the ball before he was switched out for Richarlison. The striker has been consistently plagued by injury this season, having only recently returned from a recurring ankle issue.

However, De Zerbi explained that Solanke didn't face a "big problem" when asked for an update on his fitness. He explained: "Solanke is a muscular injury. I don't know what level of injury."

He added: "For Solanke, it's not a big problem. I don't know how many games we lose him."

Potential return date: Unknown

Cristian Romero

Spurs skipper Romero sustained a partial ACL tear during his team's 1-0 loss to Sunderland earlier this month, after colliding with Antonin Kinsky in his own area. The Argentine centre-half is not expected to return for up to eight weeks, meaning he will miss the rest of the season, and potentially, the World Cup.

Potential return date: This summer

Wilson Odobert

Odobert faces a long road to recovery as a result of rupturing his ACL earlier this year. He is not expected to return until into the new season.

Potential return date: Next season

Mohammed Kudus

It was revealed earlier this month that Kudus could require surgery following a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury. A statement from Spurs read: "He had returned to team training during the past week, however will now require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery.

"We will provide any relevant further updates in due course."

Potential return date: Unknown

Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski is yet to feature for Spurs this season as a result of sustaining an ACL injury of his own last year. The star is not expected to return before the end of 2025/26 but could make a return this summer.

Potential return date: This summer

Guglielmo Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur's first-choice goalkeeper has been out of action since the March international break, owing to surgery on a hernia. Antonin Kinsky has been rolled out in his place, but De Zerbi expects the Italian will return to training next week.

He said: "I hope he can start with me from Monday. Antonin is playing very well. I hope Vicario can come back in the best physical condition because he's a very important player for us."

Potential return date: Aston Villa (A) - Sunday, May 3

Pape Matar Sarr

Sarr was ruled out of this weekend's fixture as a result of a shoulder injury which also omitted him from selection for Spurs' recent outing with Brighton. He could be fit for next week's match with Aston Villa, however.

Potential return date: Aston Villa (A) - Sunday, May 3

Ben Davies

Davies has been out of action since fracturing his ankle against West Ham in January. Given he is out of contract this summer, he may not turn out for Spurs again.

Tottenham picked up a crucial win to remain in the hunt for survival, but still lag behind West Ham after they secured a late victory over Everton

Tottenham Hotspur picked up a crucial win in their bid to avoid relegation after Joao Palhinha's winner against already-relegated Wolves. The triumph at Molineux ended Spurs' turgid run of form as they picked up their first win under Roberto De Zerbi and the opening victory of 2026, four months into the calendar year.

The importance of the Portuguese midfielder's effort eight minutes from time only increased after West Ham United netted late on to beat Everton, which keeps them two points clear of the bottom three. The north London club face a gruelling battle to survive the drop as they face three of the top 11, as well as Leeds United.

However, both West Ham and Nottingham Forest have a difficult run. With their respective wins, Forest's coming in an emphatic 5-0 away win at Sunderland, Spurs' rivals will be buoyant. Speaking after the game, the Italian said: "We played 30-35 mins very well in the first half. We didn't create many chances but we had control.

"[In the second half] maybe the pressure to win this game, we didn't play well, but today the three points was very important. We can prepare for the next four games.

"We have to play, we can't lose our style or lose the order on the pitch - we can't show the quality of the players if we play like we did in the second half, but in terms of attitude and spirit - great 90 minutes.

"Without the ball we can't win the game. These players are good enough to win with the ball. We can play much better than the second half."

Here are the list of Spurs remaining matches and how they compare to their rivals...

Tottenham next four fixtures

Position: 18th, 34pts.

Aston Villa (A) - Sunday, May 3

Leeds (H) - Monday, May 11

Chelsea (A) - Sunday, May 17

Everton (H) - Sunday, May 24

West Ham next four fixtures

Position: 17th, 36 points.

Brentford (A) - Saturday, May 2

Arsenal (H) - Sunday, May 10

Newcastle (A) - Sunday, May 17

Leeds (H) - Sunday, May 24

Nottingham Forest next four fixtures

Position: 16th, 39 points.

Chelsea (A) - Monday, May 4

Newcastle (H) - Sunday, May 10

Manchester United (A) - Sunday, May 17

Bournemouth (H) - Sunday, May 24

Here's every single word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said after the victory at Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon

Roberto De Zerbi held his first victorious press conference as Tottenham manager after their 1-0 win at Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday.

Spurs struggled to break Wolves down despite having most of the ball with 68.9% of the possession in the first half. The visitors then lost Dominic Solanke 38 minutes into the contest with a muscle injury to keep up their woeful injury record this season with De Zerbi losing four players in his first three matches at that point.

It became five in front of the 3,000 travelling Spurs fans with a knee injury to Xavi Simons.

However the visiting side showed some character and Joao Palhinha finally found a breakthrough when a corner into the box fell for Richarlison and his effort was squirming wide before the midfielder slid the ball into the net.

There was still a need for a remarkable last-gasp flying save from Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Joao Gomes' free-kick to ensure the three points headed back to the capital, where West Ham beat Everton to keep Spurs in the drop zone but still just two points behind their rivals.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to De Zerbi after the club's first Premier League victory of 2026. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Molineux.

You can't control results elsewhere but you must be pleased with the character shown to get the job done?

Yeah, I think in the first half, in the first 30-35 minutes, we played well. We didn't create big chances to score, but anyway we had total control of the game. And then, I don't know, the pressure, maybe not winning any games in 2026, maybe this pressure, maybe because we played against Wolverhampton already relegated. We lost distances, we lost order on the pitch. Every one of us wanted to go one-to-one.

But anyway, I'm happy for the result. I hope this result can change something in our head, in our mentality. And for the other results, it's already very tough to win a game for us. If we put our heads on the other teams, it becomes too tough for me.

Can I ask about Xavi and Solanke and their injuries?

For Xavi it is a problem of his knee. We go to see in the next days. Monday or Tuesday. For Solanke it is not a big problem. I don’t know how many games we lose him but I would like to know the situation with Xavi because the knee is always different than the muscular injury.

What happened with Xavi? It looked like he tried to continue?

He felt pain. Now I spoke to him two, three minutes ago. He feels better than the beginning of the injury.

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How proud are you of Antonin Kinsky after that big late save?

He deserves this day, because he played very well today. Especially today, he was crucial for the result. He deserves everything, because he's a good guy, he's a good keeper. Especially after Madrid, he deserves one day like today.

You said that one win could be a game-changer for you, what is the mood like after the dressing room?

Yes, I hope so. But I wouldn't like to lose any other players, because Romero, Kudus, now Solanke and maybe Xavi. We can win the games with the players, not with the coaches. The coaches are important, but the players are more important. But I want to be positive.

I want to be positive, Mathys Tel played 45 minutes very well. At the beginning of the first half also Kolo Muani started very well the game and then he lost I don’t know confidence. We have to go every day for lunch with Kolo Muani this week. Every day breakfast, lunch and dinner because he is a top player as potential and he plays the better he feels and (feel) better on the pitch he tried to go one v one, to shoot, to do something more with more energy because he can do. He can do that.

Did you say you went for lunch with him last week?

No, no. Just two, with Kolo Muani. Is there a problem if I go with him?

No...

Thank you.

You spoke about the players' minds, with that win and being two points from safety, is there that belief that they can save the season?

I think the players know what they are and what they can do on the pitch. Especially this season, because it's true, we didn't win a game in 2026, but finished fifth in the table in the Champions League. In the Champions League, I think it's not so easy or easier than the Premier League. So they have to be positive. They have to feel full confidence. Because they are good and not to see the other results. For example, West Ham. We have to move on and prepare for the next games. Now the first game is Villa Park and that's it.

Can I just ask you about that moment at full-time where you looked like you were fist-pumping in front of the fans, what that means for you and the squad and what it means for the fans as well?

Yes, because I believe to stay up. If I stay here, it's because I'm positive. Not because I'm a coach of Tottenham or Tottenham is not important on the pitch, if you are Tottenham or another team, the most important are the qualities of the players and the human level of the players. It was a surprise for me, because I didn't know them and when I knew better my players, I understood we have the possibility and the chance to stay up. We have two points. Not ten points. We have two points from West Ham. They are a good team, but also Tottenham have very good players and are a very good team.

What surprised you about the players?

Yes, because when I watch the game or if you watch the game from the stand or TV, you can't understand if they have the right spirit or if they have the right attitude. And I work with them every day and all players are professional, good guys and they are suffering for this situation. Just (need) to give them confidence and order on the pitch, because I didn't like the second half at all. We could play better, we have to play better, much better than the second half. We have to play like the first 30 minutes. Maybe creating more chances to score and more shots on goal.

Tottenham have struggled to make chances for a long time. Now Xavi is injured, Solanke as well, are you going to have to get creative to find different ways?

We can play with Mathys Tel on the left. Kolo Muani on the right. Souza on the right. Bergvall on the left. We have to create. I don’t want to change too much (like) three defenders or four defenders, I don’t want to put more confusion on the players, especially this season because they changed a lot of tactical disposition. I want to be clear and simple but for your question, we need to stay strong in the head and positive in ourselves.