Tottenham's Xavi Simons sustains knee injury, Dominic Solanke 'not a big' issue - Roberto De Zerbi

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsRelegation RollercoasterTitle Race in NumbersRe-Refereeing Chelsea vs. Leeds 1970Scott's Unorthodox Road to the TopTottenham’s Xavi Simons sustains knee injury, Dominic Solanke ‘not a big’ issue – Roberto De ZerbiSimons was taken off on a stretcher in the second half of Spurs' win against Wolves Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images Share articleRoberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Xavi Simons suffered a knee injury in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. Spurs were on the counter-attack following a corner in the second half when Xavi tried to keep the ball in play deep in Wolves’ half. The 22-year-old fell awkwardly after colliding with Hugo Bueno. Xavi went down in pain but stood back up after receiving treatment for a couple of minutes. The Netherlands international dropped to the floor again and then protested when De Zerbi substituted him for Joao Palhinha. A couple of minutes later, Xavi was put on a stretcher and taken to the dressing room. Dominic Solanke picked up a muscle injury in the first half and was replaced by Richarlison. Despite losing two of their most influential attacking players, Palhinha’s second-half goal secured Spurs their first league win since December. They remain in the bottom three following West Ham United’s 2-1 victory over Everton. Losing Solanke and Xavi for an extended period of time will damage their chances of avoiding relegation. It is a blow to both of their chances of playing at this summer’s World Cup for England and the Netherlands respectively. “For Xavi it is a problem of his knee,” De Zerbi said in his post-match press conference. “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. “He felt pain. I spoke to him two, three minutes ago. He feels better than the beginning of the injury.” De Zerbi seemed confident that Solanke’s injury is nothing too serious but Xavi’s situation sounds ominous. The Netherlands international has endured a difficult debut season in north London but he has been a rare bright spark over the last few months. Last week, De Zerbi praised Xavi’s ability to receive the ball when it is “hot” and he demonstrated that a few times against Wolves with driving runs which pulled defenders out of position. The attacking midfielder’s clever assist and stunning goal in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion underlined that he has the star quality to produce under pressure. Xavi has created 34 chances this season which is the second highest in the squad behind Pedro Porro (43). The 22-year-old was supposed to play a crucial role in Tottenham’s fight to avoid relegation with Tottenham’s other playmakers unavailable. James Maddison is not fully fit after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, despite being named on the bench for their last two games, and Dejan Kulusevski will not return anytime soon either. Beating Wolves will give Spurs a huge psychological boost but it is bittersweet because of the injuries to Solanke and Xavi. On a personal level, Xavi and Solanke will be worrying about their chances of going to the World Cup. Xavi featured for the Netherlands at the European Championship in 2024 and scored an excellent goal in their semi-final defeat to England. Solanke has never represented his country at a senior major international tournament and will be desperate to be part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad. Missing any game time could prove costly as his rivals Ollie Watkins and Danny Welbeck are in good from at the moment. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms