Tottenham star James Maddison has provided Tottenham supporters with an insight into the ACL injury on his right knee
James Maddison cannot catch a break after enduring recurring injuries during his time at Tottenham Hotspur.
The 28-year-old is one of the best creative midfielders on the pitch when fit, but he never seems to play a number of games on the stretch and perform consistently. It is believed in certain sections of the fanbase and English media that the England international has not lived up to his expectations at White Hart Lane following his switch from Leicester City in the summer of 2023.
James Maddison suffered an ACL rupture on his right knee and was stretchered off against Newcastle United during the pre-season friendly tour of South Asia, and as a result, he is expected to miss the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign. It came after he had only recently returned to the pitch, having suffered a medial ligament injury in the same knee back in May.
The midfielder played an influential role for Spurs last season, providing 12 goals and 10 assists across all competitions as well as playing a crucial role for his side in lifting the Europa League, even though he was unfortunate to miss out on playing in the final against Manchester United due to injury.
James Maddison sets out Tottenham injury return timeline
Maddison has started his long recovery from a serious knee injury. The Tottenham star has been putting in considerable effort during his recovery process, sharing stories on his Instagram account of training with an exercise ball and stretching his right leg on an extension machine.
On Friday, the playmaker released a video showing the first three weeks of his recovery and his first visit back to Hotspur Way after undergoing ACL surgery. When speaking to club doctors, Maddison admitted that he is going to make sure that he is completely healed before returning. However, he is hoping to return eight months after the serious injury, which would see him come back around April for the final stretch of Premier League games.
“I’ve already looked [at the average time out], if it’s eight months, six months isn’t a question. The stage I’m at now, this needs to be right now,” Maddison said in a YouTube video.
“I’m 28, I’m going to be 29 when I return, I’m in my prime, really. These are my peak years ahead of me. I need to come back and I need to stay fit. So actually, I’m not going to be pushing to say ‘oh why are you taking so long’, sort of thing.
“But if it gets to eight months and we’re flying or whatever, if I’m in the right frame, that will allow me to play this season won’t it, towards the end.”
Maddison will not be rushed back
Maddison is nursing one of the most painful and severe injuries a footballer can sustain. It takes several months for an ACL injury to heal, depending on the severity and situation. Many players have had relapse of an ACL rupture and seen their careers get ruined, so it is extremely important to go through a strict and proper rehabilitation.
The good thing is Maddison does not want to rush back, despite knowing that the World Cup is slated to happen next summer. From Spurs’ perspective, while the England international’s absence has been felt, new boss Thomas Frank has enjoyed a fantastic start to life in north London as his side sit third on the Premier League table. Summer signings Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons have managed to address the creativity issue in Maddison’s time off to some extent. This further should give the Coventry-born talent the assurance to take as much time as he wants to recover from his injury and not force himself back to action.
