Tottenham Hotspur will carry out extensive testing on its stadium and training ground surfaces as part of a wide-ranging operation aimed at ending its injury misery.
Review launched after injury-plagued campaign
The Premier League giants, who only avoided a catastrophic relegation on a nervy final day of the season, have commissioned a major review into why their squad was continually decimated for a second campaign in a row. Star men Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and James Maddison all suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, while Dejan Kulusevski failed to play a single minute following surgery on his kneecap a year ago.
Dan Lewindon, the club’s performance director brought in from the City Football Group in October, has undertaken an investigation aimed at delivering significant improvement. And Daily Mail Sport understands that initial results have found little difference between the bounce of their stadium turf versus that of their training ground. However, they are now working with an external partner to carry out what is being described as ‘a deep dive’ into the matter which will involve further, widespread testing at both facilities, along with a series of fresh measures.
Maddison calls for action
Following the vital 1-0 win over Everton on Sunday, Maddison called on Spurs officials to address the situation. ‘Our situation with the injuries has been worse than any other club,’ he said. ‘People try and say, “Oh, but we’ve got this and that”. But ours is astronomical and we need to look at why that is.’
Lewindon’s review has already identified multiple areas for improvement, according to those with knowledge of the situation. Much work will be carried out on the structure of training sessions and players are likely to be grouped in ‘pods’ of four to six. Each group will have designated support across each area of the club’s medical department, including physios, sports science and strength and conditioning. The aim is to increase the amount of knowledge and information around a player, which would allow for greater monitoring and ensure training sessions are more tailored to each squad member’s needs.
Managerial turnover a factor
Turnover in managers has also been identified as one of the reasons behind the club losing around 2,000 days to injury and enduring an average availability of 77 per cent. Thomas Frank began the campaign but was sacked in February and replaced by Igor Tudor, whose disastrous reign was brought to an end after 44 days. Roberto De Zerbi managed to carry Spurs over the finishing line but the differing demands and playing systems of each is thought to have contributed to the numbers of those needing treatment.
De Zerbi has worked closely with Lewindon and it was the Italian who requested the hiring of a sports psychologist to work with a first team squad often accused of being fragile. The new arrival will be tasked with ensuring players perform at a high level when under increased pressure and make the right decisions at critical moments.
Reinjury concerns addressed
Tottenham have also suffered from a number of ‘reinjuries’, where players who have been brought back have gone down again having aggravated their original ailment. An improvement in communication between the manager and the medical department, with a greater alignment is expected. Spurs came in for heavy criticism from some quarters when Xavi Simons, the £51.8m playmaker brought in following the loss of Maddison and Kulusevski, injured his right knee at Wolves but, following consultation with medical staff, decided to play on. Moments later he broke down again, was carried off on a stretcher and was subsequently found to have a torn ACL. Some were left incensed with how Simons was dealt with. However, it is understood that the 23-year-old was adamant that he should remain on the field and, having been made aware of the criticism, was quick to apologise to medics.
While Spurs will spend this summer, the view within the club is that, without injuries, their squad is capable of a much higher finish.
