Tottenham Hotspur have received a massive blow with midfielder James Maddison undergoing surgery after he ruptured his ACL in that emotional game against Newcastle United. And this will see the 28-year-old being ruled out for a considerable period.
The England international was looking like he was all ready to come into the new season and replicate the form that he showed in his first weeks at N17. But that pre-season injury makes it look like he is going to miss the majority of the new campaign.
Dr Rajpal Brar speaks on Maddison injury
And now injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has commented on the probable extent of rehab for such injuries, as he insists that it takes around eight to nine months for elite footballers to return back to action, but he goes on to state how it also depends on the full extent of the injury.
He goes on to state how the priority now within the medical staff at Hotspur Way would be to strengthen him and get his mobility right again.
If we are estimating this from the recent ACL injuries at Tottenham, Bentancur was out for 8.5 months, while Perisic took somewhere along 9-10 months. Amos took 8 months, and Radu Dragusin is estimated to be on the sidelines for 9 months. So based on these proceeding numbers, if Maddison’s return date slips towards that nine-month mark, then it could be May before the former Foxes midfielder is even available again. This ends up raising doubts over whether the 28-year-old will be risked in what might end up being either decisive or dead-rubber fixtures at the end of the season.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, Dr Brar said:
“This is typically an eight to nine-month return to play process for elite footballers, but also depends on the full extent of the injury, as the meniscus is often involved, and also which graft is used and so on.
“At the start, it will be all about trying to minimise strength and mobility deficits.
“Then it will be a gradual build-up over time, working his way back to walking and other movements while constantly focused on building strength, mobility and neuromuscular control.
“It will be a slow process, but they need to be very careful with his rehab.”
Maddison faces race against time
Not having Maddison in the roster means that there will be a massive hole in that roster in terms of attacking setup, given how he has been the centre of creativity at N17 since his arrival, and without him, the Lilywhites have to look for someone who can replicate those vertical passes and set-piece quality.
While there has not been any public surgery date yet, the North Londoners would be looking to have that operation done quickly and have him start that rehabilitation process. Given there is still Euro 2026 around the corner, he will have this tough battle to turn this around and return at his best for the club and possibly throw his name into the consideration for the Three Lions.