Tottenham Hotspur have launched a comprehensive internal review into their alarming injury crisis, with the retractable pitch at their state-of-the-art stadium emerging as a key area of suspicion. The investigation, led by new performance director Dan Lewindon, comes after the club lost more games and days to injury than any other Premier League side this season, nearly resulting in a shock relegation.
Across all competitions, Spurs players missed a combined 370 games through injury during the 2025/26 campaign—the highest tally in the top flight. The punishing toll left manager Roberto De Zerbi's squad so depleted that safety was only secured on the final day with a home victory over Everton. This marks the second consecutive season that injuries have defined Tottenham's fortunes, with back-to-back 17th-place finishes for a club ranked as the world's ninth-richest by revenue.
The review, which Lewindon completed after three months in his role, spans performance analysis, medical protocols, and environmental factors. While Tottenham regularly commission external independent testing to compare the bounce of their home surface with their training pitch, results so far have been inconclusive. However, further detailed examinations are planned in the coming weeks to assess whether their playing surface differs significantly from those at other Premier League grounds.
Concern has centered on the stadium's innovative retractable pitch, which slides open to reveal an artificial surface for NFL games and other events. A pattern of serious injuries sustained at home has raised alarm bells. Key cases include Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin both suffering severe knee injuries during matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and James Maddison partially tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) there last May before a full rupture occurred months later in pre-season.
Further adding to the evidence, Ben Davies broke his ankle in a home defeat to West Ham in January, while Wilson Odobert ruptured his ACL in another home loss, this time against Newcastle. These incidents are not isolated; Cristian Romero's season was ended by an injury sustained away at Sunderland, and Destiny Udogie picked up a muscular problem in a home draw with Brighton. The sheer number and severity of injuries have forced the club to question whether their own ground is a contributing factor.
Even more concerning was the handling of Xavi Simons' ACL injury during an away win at Wolves. The midfielder was initially treated with ice spray and sent back onto the pitch, only to be stretchered off later with what proved to be a season-ending injury. That sequence has heightened scrutiny on the medical department's decision-making, which is also under the microscope as part of the broader review.
Tottenham's investigation does not stand alone. Real Madrid are reportedly probing their own pitches at the recently refurbished Santiago Bernabéu and their Valdebebas training complex after suffering a spate of ACL injuries since the Bernabéu's full reopening. While the Spanish giant's retractable pitch is newer, Spurs' venue has been in use for seven years, and the injury crisis only became acute in the last two seasons, complicating any simple link to the pitch alone.
Since the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign, Tottenham have registered 123 injuries, a figure exceeded only by north London rivals Arsenal's 146. The persistent setbacks have not only derailed league campaigns but also stunted player development and disrupted any tactical consistency. For a club with ambitions of returning to European competition, such a record is unsustainable and has forced a holistic reassessment of all performance-related systems.
Non-executive chairman Peter Charrington has previously vowed to focus on raising standards across the club, and this review is a direct response to that mandate. The findings could lead to changes in pitch maintenance, training load management, or medical responses. With the transfer window approaching, the club's ability to convince potential signings that their injury problems are under control may hinge on the credibility of the review's outcomes.
As Tottenham prepare for the next season, the stakes are high. Another injury-ravaged campaign could finally tip the club into genuine peril, both on the pitch and financially. For now, all eyes are on the detailed testing of the pitch and the conclusions drawn by Lewindon's team. Based on reporting from Sky Sports.