Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Xavi Simons has given supporters a positive update on his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in his right knee, releasing training footage of himself back on the grass.
The Dutch international sustained the serious injury in April's win over Wolves, which ruled him out of the World Cup and the closing stages of Spurs' Premier League relegation battle last season. Simons missed the rest of the 2025/26 campaign and is not expected to regain full fitness for a while yet, but the 23-year-old has now returned to the pitch to train on his own.
Return to grass marks recovery milestone
In a new video posted to his official Instagram account, Simons can be seen completing passing and dribbling drills while wearing full Tottenham training gear. Returning to the grass is a major milestone in a player's recovery, especially after a long-term injury such as a ruptured ACL.
While it is positive that Simons has moved on from isolated gym and rehab work, solo training on grass is only one step on the road to full fitness, with a return to training with team-mates still likely a while away.
Rehabilitation and off-pitch ventures
Simons has travelled to the United States to aid his rehabilitation, after undergoing surgery on his ACL back in May. In the meantime, he has used his period of recovery to pursue other ventures, enrolling on to the Harvard Business School Crossover Into Business Program.
A €60million (£51.9m) signing from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2025, Simons made 41 appearances for Spurs across all competitions before injury curtailed his debut campaign in north London.
Absentees ahead of Coventry clash
Simons will of course play no part in Tottenham's clash with Coventry on Monday evening, with Roberto De Zerbi's side taking the nine-day gap between games to train in warmer climes. It is hoped that Tottenham's trip to Spain to work on fitness will give Spurs the upper hand against Frank Lampard's newly-promoted side.
Simons is not the only injury absentee Spurs are waiting on, with Pedro Porro, Savio, Lucas Bergvall, Mykhailo Mudryk and Wilson Odobert also in the treatment room and unavailable for selection against Coventry. However, Dejan Kulusevski will be involved in a matchday squad for the first time since May 2025 following a serious kneecap injury, while Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended following his dismissal in last weekend's dramatic 1-1 draw against Manchester United for headbutting Luke Shaw.
