By OkayGoal
Tottenham Hotspur Women have lost their record signing to a serious knee injury. The club confirmed on Tuesday evening that Alice Sombath has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, an injury picked up in Saturday’s north London derby against Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 23-year-old French defender left the pitch on a stretcher shortly after half-time in a game Spurs went on to lose 2-1. It was her first start in the Women’s Super League since her summer move from OL Lyonnes. Spurs say their medical staff will talk through the next steps with the player, after which she will have surgery and then begin her rehabilitation. No timescale for a return has been given.
We can confirm that Alice Sombath has sustained a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in her right knee.
Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) October 27, 2026
A cruel blow after a slow start in London
Sombath arrived in July for an undisclosed fee that made her the most expensive player in the history of the women’s side, a deal we covered when Spurs completed her record signing. Lyon was her only club before the move: she spent six seasons there and was part of the squad that won the Champions League in 2021.
Her first months in England were already stop and start. A minor knock disrupted her pre-season, and she only made her Spurs debut away at Crystal Palace in September. Four more appearances followed before the derby, which she had been looking forward to. “It’s a different emotion when it’s a derby,” she told the club’s website in the build-up, adding that she had never played inside the stadium before.
Defensive options thin out for Martin Ho
The timing is awkward for head coach Martin Ho, whose side climbed from 11th to fifth last season and want to push on again this term. Clare Hunt and Maite Oroz are both long-term absentees, while Olga Ahtinen is still out with a knock. As SB Nation’s Abbie Rose points out, the injury leaves the squad short of centre-backs, with Amanda Nildén and Caitlin Dijkstra the likeliest candidates to line up alongside Tōko Koga.
There was at least some better news on the fitness front. In his pre-match update ahead of Wednesday’s Subway Players Cup trip to Bristol City (7pm UK), Ho said Sombath was the only new absentee and that Jess Naz, back in the matchday squad at the weekend after a long layoff, would again be involved. “Jess is still available and back in the squad,” he said. “We’re in good shape, apart from the long-term ones.”
World Cup hopes in doubt
The injury is also a setback for France. Sombath played several matches at Euro 2025, when she was drafted in to cover for the injured Griedge Mbock. ACL injuries usually keep players out for well over six months, which puts her place at next summer’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil in serious doubt. The French team’s official account sent a message of support on social media on Tuesday night.
For Spurs, the focus now turns to helping a young defender through a long recovery. The club’s statement ended with a simple message: “Alice will have the love and support of everyone at Tottenham Hotspur throughout her recovery.”
