Ronald Koeman has described Xavi Simons’ serious knee injury as a “dramatic” setback for the Netherlands ahead of the World Cup. The 23‑year‑old ruptured the ACL in his right knee during Tottenham’s 1‑0 win at Wolves last weekend, ending his season and ruling him out of the tournament. Speaking at an award ceremony, Koeman stressed the personal toll on the player, noting that Simons is also battling relegation with his club.

The coach highlighted the midfielder’s youth as the only positive, insisting he will feature in major tournaments in the future, but admitted the loss is significant for the national team. Koeman mentioned Justin Kluivert and Guus Til as potential replacements, though Kluivert is still recovering from knee surgery. He also played down concerns over Frenkie de Jong’s fitness as the Barcelona midfielder eases back into action. The Netherlands open their World Cup campaign against Japan in Dallas on 14 June.