Tottenham star reveals he will play through pain vs Dortmund due to Spurs injury crisis
Xavi Simons has now opened up on his knock, revealing how determined he is to help his Tottenham teammates navigate a serious injury crisis.
Borussia Dortmund are the next side to visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a ground that has been far from a fortress in the Premier League for Tottenham.
In Europe, however, it has been far more imposing, with Spurs boasting a strong home record on the continental stage, having managed a 23-game unbeaten run in Europe.
Last time out, the visitors, Slavia Prague, were thumped 3-0, putting Tottenham in a strong position to push for the automatic qualification places.
Xavi Simons on injury concerns ahead of Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund
Thomas Frank is desperate for a result, with pressure mounting on the Dane following a run of three consecutive defeats that saw Spurs crash out of the FA Cup and slip closer to the relegation places.
Injuries have not helped matters, with Frank confirming that he has just 11 fit first-team players available, far from ideal when facing Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund.
Xavi Simons, who took a knock against West Ham United, has been confirmed as available and has now spoken about his fitness and his willingness to play through pain.
Speaking to Tottenham channels, the Dutchman first addressed the severity of the knock, saying: “Yeah, it was not a big impact but it is getting better.”
Spurs stretched despite Simons’ commitment as injuries mount
The midfielder also opened up on his willingness to help his teammates despite feeling pains in his leg following the crunching challenge by Bowen last weekend.
Simons added, “I think everyone wants to win, not only the coach, but the players as well, and we want to change this. Especially me, I am a guy who is willing to give everything to win.
“Obviously, if I had really, really, really pain, then I would not play, but it is now a situation that I can handle myself, even though I have a little bit of pain. I want to play the game, I want to help the team and to grow into that.”
Spurs need all the help they can get, and Frank will be hoping his side can dig deep during this period of crisis. The injury list is damning, with Frank’s bench potentially consisting of just two senior outfield players and Kinsky.
On Simons’ dedication to play through pain, Frank said (Tottenham): “So, we basically have 11 players of our outfield players available for the game, of our normal first team players. One of them is Xavi, the guy who was out there and didn’t train today because it was a bad tackle from Bowen – not that Bowen is a bad guy, wouldn’t do anything intentional – a bad tackle from behind that injured his ankle, he has a swollen ankle, but because he’s so strong mentally, he will play through pain tomorrow. So that’s big credit, of course, to Xavi.”
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