Spurs conduct main assessment into harm disaster with stadium’s retractable pitch one space investigated

Spurs have carried out a serious assessment of their efficiency and medical departments, which included an investigation into whether or not the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s retractable pitch is contributing to the membership’s ongoing harm disaster.

Tottenham misplaced probably the most days to harm of any Premier League facet this season, whereas Spurs gamers missed a mixed 370 video games throughout all competitions because of harm this marketing campaign – probably the most of any top-flight facet.

The membership’s failure to maintain gamers match almost led to their relegation as Roberto De Zerbi’s facet dramatically wanted a final-day residence win over Everton to safe their Premier League security.

It’s a second consecutive injury-hit season for Spurs, who’ve misplaced probably the most days and video games to harm of any Premier League facet for the reason that begin of the 2024/25 marketing campaign.

A crippling harm record has performed its half in back-to-back Seventeenth-placed finishes for the world’s ninth-richest soccer membership.

It’s understood the membership’s new efficiency director, Dan Lewindon, has accomplished an intensive assessment of the harm situation after three months within the job, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium retractable pitch is an space of concern.

The intense knee accidents to Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin got here at residence final season, whereas James Maddison partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in final Could’s residence win over Bodo/Glimt, earlier than a full rupture three months later in pre-season in South Korea.

This season, Ben Davies broke his ankle in January’s residence defeat to West Ham, whereas Wilson Odobert ruptured his ACL within the residence loss in opposition to Newcastle.

It’s understood Tottenham recurrently perform exterior unbiased testing on their residence floor to evaluate the bounce of the pitch in comparison with that of their coaching pitch, however up to now the outcomes are inconclusive.

Nevertheless, additional detailed testing is deliberate within the coming weeks to analyse whether or not there’s a distinction of their residence floor in comparison with different Premier League pitches.

Tottenham’s investigation comes with Actual Madrid’s new retractable pitch additionally within the highlight.

For the reason that Santiago Bernabeu’s reopening, the 15-time European champions have suffered a spate of ACL accidents.

Experiences in Spain declare Actual are investigating their pitches at each the Bernabeu and their Valdebebas coaching floor.

Whereas the Bernabeu has solely been absolutely reopened for 3 years, Spurs have been enjoying at their £1bn state-of-the-art stadium for the previous seven years, with accidents solely changing into an actual situation within the final two seasons.

Spurs set to introduce new system to fight accidents

For the reason that begin of the 2024/25 marketing campaign, Tottenham have suffered 123 accidents – solely north London rivals Arsenal (146) have suffered extra within the Premier League in that interval.

A number of Spurs gamers have additionally had harm setbacks prior to now two seasons, together with Mohammed Kudus this marketing campaign.

Spurs’ non-executive chairman Peter Charrington promised there can be a “significant focus on raising standards across medical and performance” in an open letter to followers on Monday.

Lewindon’s assessment is known to have uncovered structural points throughout the efficiency set-up of the membership.

There’s a perception that there’s a lack of integration, communication and shared decision-making, which has led to accidents and harm reoccurrences.

A better degree of assist for gamers individually is needed by Tottenham head coach De Zerbi.

This has prompted Lewindon to construct a small-team method whereby as much as six gamers are assigned a physio, which permits higher-quality programming and higher selections made round a participant’s coaching design and bodily preparation.

Tottenham are additionally trying to appoint a psychologist for the boys’s staff, with the concept this will enhance communication.

One other consider Spurs’ harm disaster has been the variety of managerial adjustments on the membership.

Spurs have had 4 completely different head coaches within the area of a yr – Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor and De Zerbi – which has led to altering calls for on the gamers.

It’s believed these differing coaching strategies and ways have created an elevated danger of harm to the Spurs gamers.

Spurs reject criticism over dealing with of Simons’ harm

Spurs boss De Zerbi misplaced a participant to harm in every of his first three video games, with Cristian Romero struggling a season-ending harm within the loss at Sunderland, Future Udogie choosing up a muscular situation within the draw in opposition to Brighton, and Xavi Simons struggling an ACL harm within the win at Wolves.

However the dealing with of Simons’ harm drew criticism from some Spurs supporters after the attacking midfielder was given ice spray and despatched again on the pitch earlier than ultimately being stretchered off with the season-ending harm.

It’s understood Lewindon was very glad with the medical staff’s dealing with of the state of affairs.

Simons wished to proceed at Molineux, and with an ACL check onerous to carry out at pitchside, the choice to permit him the chance to return to the sport was deemed right by the membership.

It’s understood no extra injury was performed to Simons, who is ready to return subsequent season when Spurs will probably be hoping their harm disaster has been resolved.

Maddison requires inquest into Spurs’ harm issues

Maddison has referred to as on Spurs to research the “astronomical” harm issues which have plagued the squad this season.

The playmaker, restricted to 3 appearances off the bench on the finish of the marketing campaign, is one in all six Spurs gamers to have had a critical knee harm since January 2025.

Talking after Sunday’s final-day win over Everton, Maddison stated: “Our situation with the injuries has been worse than any other club.

“Folks try to say, ‘Oh, however we have this and that’. However ours is astronomical, and we have to have a look at why that’s.

“Sometimes it can just be unlucky, sometimes it can be a coincidence, like me doing my ACL or [Dejan] Kulusevski getting a horrendous knock off [Marc] Guehi.

“That is not the medical staff, that is not the pitch or all of the theories that you just see, generally that is garbage.”

Maddison believes Spurs, who only confirmed their Premier League safety on the final day, would never have been in that position if they had their key players fit.

“We have been a bit unfortunate,” Maddison added. “However like I stated, the large names that we have missed, it does have an effect on you and you’ll’t simply deny that.

“Myself, Kulusevski and [Mohammed] Kudus, and [Rodrigo] Bentancur missed three months and whatnot. If you had had them for the whole season, we wouldn’t have been in this situation, I strongly believe.

“That is simply not me being naive, that is only a truth. However it’s the state of affairs we discover ourselves in, and I’m simply happy with the lads to dig deep right now.”