Three Tottenham stars who must step up to fill creative void left by Xavi Simons - Opinion
With Xavi Simons confirmed out until 2027 after a serious ACL injury, Tottenham now have a big problem in attack. They will need someone else to step up over the next four games and bring creativity in the final third if they want to keep their attack strong and stay clear of the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers gave them a much-needed result, but it came at a cost. Xavi Simons was stretchered off in the second half after badly hurting his knee, while Dominic Solanke also picked up a muscle issue earlier in the game.
It has now been confirmed that Simons has torn his ACL. That means he will miss the rest of the Premier League season and could also be out of the World Cup. It is a huge blow for Tottenham Hotspur club, especially at such a key stage of the season.
While the Lilywhite will be somewhat happy about their victory on the day, the team are likely to now be without their star man Simons for the remainder of the season, and potentially may never see him in their shirt again.
The win over Wolves, thanks to Joao Palhinha’s late goal, did little to improve their league position. Tottenham still remain’s in the relegation zone, with West Ham still just above them after also picking up points.
With only a four games left, every match is now very important. Losing Simons is especially damaging because he has been the team’s main creative player.
Without him, Tottenham lack someone who can regularly create chances and unlock defences. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi will now have to look at other options to fill that gap. Below are three players De Zerbi could turn to.
James Maddison could return just in time for Tottenham
The Italian head coach could turn to James Maddison to fill the gap left by Simons. Maddison has not featured yet this season after recovering from his own ACL injury, but he was on the bench in the win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
If he is fit enough for consistent minutes in the coming weeks, he could be brought back into the team to take on a key role in attack. De Zerbi may rely on him in Simons’ position to help Spurs create more chances and even add goals.
Looking back at the 2024/25 Premier League season, Maddison delivered nine goals and seven assists, showing his impact in the final third. He stood out as both a scorer and creator, ranking highly among attacking midfielders for goal involvement and chances created.
Maddison has also scored 21 goals in 75 appearances for the club, showing his ability to contribute in attack. If the 29-year-old is ready to start games again, De Zerbi will likely need to rely on him as the main replacement for Simons.
However, there is no guarantee that he will be ready to start matches in the next four fixtures, which adds some uncertainty to his role during this crucial period.
And although he did not play under Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor due to his ACL injury, Maddison may now be returning at the right time to help De Zerbi’s side in their fight for survival, offering both goals and attacking quality in the final stretch of the season.
Lucas Bergvall is another option for Roberto De Zerbi
Another option to also consider, alongside James Maddison, is Lucas Bergvall. If De Zerbi is looking for a player with similar technical ability and ball-carrying style to Simons, the young Swede looks like one of the closest fits in the squad.
In their first win over Wolves on Saturday, he was brought on in the 63rd minute at Molineux right after Simons’ injury, stepping into a tense and difficult moment in the game. Playing mainly as an attacking midfielder, Bergvall did not see much of the ball at first as Spurs struggled to keep possession, but he slowly grew into the game as it went on.
In the final minutes, he showed good calm on the ball and helped Spurs move the ball up the pitch, playing an important role in helping them hold onto their narrow lead.
That performance added to his growing confidence in recent weeks. In the 2-2 draw against Brighton, he made an instant impact off the bench, setting up a goal shortly after coming on.
Even so, his ability to carry the ball forward, find space between the lines, and play in tight areas makes him another strong option to take on a bigger role.
With Simons out for a long-term, Bergvall could be given more chances in the final games as Spurs fight to stay up.
Mathys Tel can provide a spark to Tottenham’s attack
Tottenham may now need to rely on players who have spent much of the season waiting for regular chances, as De Zerbi looks for solutions in attack during a difficult run of fixtures.
This could be the moment for both youth and experience to step up in a key period. Mathys Tel is the first player who needs to step up. The 21-year-old offers a very different style to Simons.
While Simons is more of a creative player, Tel brings pace, direct running, and high energy in attack. His display in the 1-0 win over Wolves showed exactly what he can offer. Coming off the bench, he looked lively and full of energy, giving Spurs a big boost in a tight game.
Even though Joao Palhinha scored the winner, it was Tel’s hard work that helped force the corner that led to the goal. At the same time, Simons’ absence and the uncertainty around Solanke could force a rethink on Richarlison.
Despite being Tottenham’s top scorer this season with nine goals, he has often been left out of the starting XI, featuring in only a limited number of games under De Zerbi.
But Richarlison brings something very important in this situation, experience in a relegation fight. He has been in this kind of battle before at Everton, where he played a key role in helping them stay up during the 2021–22 season with crucial goals and strong performances under pressure.
Overall, Richarlison is a player who often steps up in difficult moments, and this could be another time for him to do just that. In the win over Wolves, he had already started to show his impact, as his effort in the box led to Joao Palhinha’s winning goal.
If Solanke is ruled out for the rest of the season or misses most of the remaining games, De Zerbi may have a clear option to lead the attack, with Richarlison capable of helping Tottenham stay in the Premier League.
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