Tottenham Hotspur will be without Alice Sombath for an extended spell after confirming that the defender ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee during Saturday's 2-1 Women's Super League defeat to Arsenal.
The injury came in the 23-year-old France international's first Women's Super League start for Spurs since joining from OL Lyonnes in July in a reported club-record transfer. She will undergo surgery before beginning rehabilitation, although the club has not outlined a timetable for her return.
How Alice Sombath Was Injured In The North London Derby
Alice Sombath was stretchered off in the 50th minute of Tottenham’s match against Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Ella Morris replacing her.
Spurs had taken the lead through Cathinka Tandberg, but Arsenal came from behind to win 2-1. The result was overshadowed by Sombath’s injury, coming after several months of waiting for her first league start since arriving from France.
Tottenham later confirmed that the defender had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) following an assessment by the club’s medical team.
Sombath will discuss the next steps with the medical staff before undergoing surgery and beginning rehabilitation.
The club did not specify how the injury occurred.
Alice Sombath's first season at Tottenham before her ACL injury
Sombath arrived in north London with an impressive record at OL Lyonnes, where she won five consecutive French league titles and the Coupe de France twice. She also featured in all four of France's matches at Euro 2025.
Her introduction to English football was carefully managed. The defender missed all four of Tottenham's pre-season matches, and head coach Martin Ho explained ahead of the WSL opener against West Ham United that the club had been gradually building up her fitness to prepare her for action.
"She had quite a few injuries and small niggles," Ho said in comments published on Tottenham's website.
He wanted Sombath to feel comfortable psychologically while getting ready for the physical demands of the league. The priority was to have her available consistently, rather than risk bringing her back too quickly and losing her again.
"What I'd rather do in the short term is make sure we get it right, so she's comfortable psychologically, and she's in a good space."
Her first appearance for Spurs came off the bench in a 7-0 league win over Crystal Palace. Ho introduced her in the second half, with the result already comfortably in Tottenham's favour. The north London derby was her first start in the WSL.
How Alice Sombath's injury affects Tottenham and France
Sombath’s performances in France help explain Tottenham’s interest in signing her. She completed 90.5% of her passes, the highest accuracy recorded by a defender in the Premiere Ligue since the 2021-22 season, according to Opta Analyst.
She was also strong in the air, winning nearly three out of every four aerial duels (72.7%) in 2025–26. That ranked fifth among players who contested at least 10 aerial duels.
Those statistics came from Sombath’s time at Lyon, but they highlight what Tottenham hoped she would bring to their defence: accurate passing and strength in aerial duels.
Sombath’s absence adds to Tottenham’s defensive concerns, with Olga Ahtinen, Clare Hunt and Maite Oroz also on the injury list. There was some positive news against Arsenal, however, as Jess Naz returned to the matchday squad after nearly a year out with an ACL injury.
There could also be consequences for France. Sombath has been part of the national team's qualifying squads for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, but French outlet Footeuses reported that her participation in the tournament is now in doubt.
Neither Tottenham nor the French federation has commented on her World Cup prospects, and the eventual length of her absence remains unclear. Tottenham's immediate task is preparing for the Subway Players Cup tie away to Bristol City on 28 October.
Sombath will miss the match, leaving Ho to adjust his defensive options for the next fixture.
