Tottenham were dealt a double injury blow in their win over Wolves.
Tottenham Hotspur fans will have experienced deflation and elation at various points of the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
The elation came in the 82nd minute when Joao Palhinha tapped home from Richarlison’s scuffed shot to give Spurs the lead at Molineux. It was a crucial goal from Palhinha, which eventually turned out to be the winner. It was Tottenham’s first Premier League win since beating Crystal Palace on their travels on December 28, and the outburst of emotions from the players, fans, Roberto De Zerbi and his coaching staff was totally justified.
However, the win at Wolves came at a premium. Dominic Solanke was forced off in the 40th minute with a muscular problem, while Xavi Simons was stretchered off in the 63rd minute after suffering a knee issue. With nine players already missing, Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons have now been added to the infirmary.
Roberto De Zerbi gives injury updates on Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons
De Zerbi said the club’s medical department will assess Solanke and Simons’ injuries after both were forced off in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Wolves.
“Solanke a muscular injury, Xavi it’s a problem with his knee. We go to see in the next few days,” De Zerbi said in his press conference (h/t Football London).
“Solanke, it’s not a big problem, I don’t know how many games we lose him. I would like to know more about Xavi, though, because you know, the knee it’s always different to the muscles. He felt pain, but now that I spoke with him, and he feels better than the beginning when he got his injury.”
Injuries piling up at the worst possible time for Tottenham
Solanke was seen clutching his hamstring after going down before signalling to the bench for treatment. He managed to get up and walk, as Richarlison replaced him in the first half. In De Zerbi’s words, the main concern lies with Simons’ injury.
The Netherlands international started the match, but in the 63rd minute, he went down by the edge of the opposition box and struggled to get up. The 23-year-old looked to be in immense pain as the physios rushed to the pitch to treat him. Simons somehow got up and tried to shrug off the problem on the touchline, but it didn’t happen. Instead, he collapsed to the floor again before being stretchered off the pitch.
De Zerbi has already lost Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero to injuries for the rest of the season. He has now suffered two big blows in the form of Solanke and Simons. While the Italian tactician has calmed down fears of a serious knee injury with his update on Simons, it is unlikely the Dutchman playmaker and Solanke will be available to feature against Aston Villa next weekend.