Tottenham confirm Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons has ruptured ACL

The midfielder picked up the injury during Tottenham's narrow 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, departing the field on a stretcher after 63 minutes.

"Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and, following that, will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team," the club announced.

On Sunday, the Netherlands international Simons revealed that his campaign had "come to an abrupt end" due to a severe knock likely to sideline him for the World Cup.

"They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way," the 23-year-old shared via an Instagram update.

"My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken... 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."

Simons had been tipped to play a pivotal role in Ronald Koeman's Netherlands lineup for his second World Cup appearance, following his first in 2022. He boasts 34 international caps, with his latest outings in March friendlies.

This setback represents a significant loss for Tottenham amid a challenging Premier League campaign, with the North London outfit languishing in 18th position on 34 points, just two clear of the drop zone.