Tottenham star James Maddison to miss majority of the upcoming 2025/26 season with torn ACL
This is the news Tottenham Hotspur were dreading to hear after Sunday’s incident in Seoul.
James Maddison is set to miss the majority of the 2025/26 season after suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in pre-season. The creative midfielder was stretchered off in the closing stages of Sunday’s pre-season friendly 1-1 draw with Newcastle United after he suffered a freak injury trying to win the ball.
The England international appeared to immediately know something was terrible, as he started to hop on one foot before falling to the ground with his hands on his head while he called for the club’s medical staff. As James Maddison lay on the pitch grimacing in pain, his Tottenham teammates surrounding him and, on the bench, looked distraught.
Head coach Thomas Frank said after the Newcastle game that the injury did not look good based on his initial prognosis. Now, the club has put out an official statement on Maddison’s injury. He is set to undergo surgery for a ruptured ACL in his right knee in the coming days, and following that, the midfielder will start his rehab with the medical team.
James Maddison to miss the majority of the 2025/26 season
It is extremely devastating for Maddison after he had only returned on the pitch following a lengthy spell on the sidelines. A knee injury sustained in May had forced the 28-year-old to miss the Europa League final against Manchester United, and after recovering from that, he has had reduced minutes in Spurs’ pre-season to ensure he is fully fit ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
But to everyone’s dismay, the playmaker’s season is perhaps done and dusted even before it has started. This is also a big blow for our new gaffer, who is set to head into his first season in north London without the most creative player of Tottenham since 2023. As a result, the Dane will now have some big decisions to make to replace Maddison in his squad.
Tottenham looking out for replacements
Had the Lilywhites’ move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White come to fruition then the requirement to enter the market for attacking reinforcements would be significantly less urgent.
With Dejan Kulusevski also injured and set to miss the opening weeks of the new season, summer signing Mohammed Kudus appears likely to operate in the No.10 role. Or else, Frank can use Pape Matar Sarr as a No.10 after watching the Senegal international impress in an advanced role during the recent pre-season games.
As per reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano on X, Spurs chiefs set to take a dip in the market soon for Maddison’s replacement. Leicester City talent Bilal El Khannouss has emerged as a target, but Tottenham must up their ante after Leeds United made formal enquiry to the Championship club.
