Tottenham Hotspur have signed six new players, but one of the major issues for Roberto De Zerbi is to welcome back key stars who have spent extended spells on the sidelines.
Dejan Kulusevski is on the comeback trail and is expected to feature at some point during the first half of the season. The same is true for Mohammed Kudus, who is very close to returning.
The likes of Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons, however, are out for the foreseeable future with ACL injuries.
James Maddison is another player with whom they have had to err on the side of caution after his comeback from an ACL problem.
And now, it appears as if he is set to be sidelined for a bit, although the time frame hasn’t been confirmed.
Fresh James Maddison injury blow for Tottenham
Maddison made a few substitute appearances towards the back end of last season under De Zerbi and showed flashes of brilliance as they avoided relegation.
However, he hasn’t featured in any of their pre-season games, and he remains sidelined due to a hip injury.
Paul O’Keefe reports that it’s the same injury that is currently bothering the England international, although he remains hopeful of featuring in their first Premier League game of the season against Brentford.
“James Maddison has a hip issue which Tottenham are managing,” wrote O’Keefe on X.
“It’s a recurrence of an old injury. Hopeful he makes Brentford squad.”
The experienced midfielder hasn’t played a single minute in pre-season, so it’s a bit ambitious to expect him to be in the squad vs Brentford.
This is undoubtedly a massive problem for De Zerbi, as when fit and firing, Maddison is a top-class footballer and potentially Tottenham’s next captain as well, with Cristian Romero close to joining Atletico Madrid.
