Xavi Simons has confirmed he will miss the rest of Tottenham’s fight against relegation and the upcoming World Cup, due to injury.
The Netherlands star was stretchered from the Molineux pitch on Saturday after appearing to buckle his knee when landing awkwardly on the pitch.
Roberto De Zerbi expressed concern after the game, and Simons has now confirmed his season is over as he begins what is expected to be a long road to recovery.
“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,” Simons wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
The absence of £52million attacker Xavi is a significant blow to Tottenham and De Zerbi, who has already lost captain Cristian Romero and winger Mohammed Kudus to season-ending injuries during his first month at the club.
Xavi had endured a frustrating debut campaign in England, only showing flashes of his class under Thomas Frank before being bizarrely frozen out by Igor Tudor, but looked set for a key role with De Zerbi, especially after a wonder strike in a 2-2 home draw with Brighton.
Instead, Xavi can play no part in Spurs’ desperate efforts to overturn a two-point deficit to 17th-placed West Ham in order to avoid their first relegation in 49 years.
Xavi added: “It’ll take some time to find peace with this but I’ll continue to be the best team-mate I can be. 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.”
Additional reporting by Press Association.
