James Maddison has missed the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign after suffering an ACL injury in August.
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for a huge Premier League game at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening. It will be Roberto De Zerbi’s first home clash after he endured a losing start to his reign in North London last weekend.
Sunderland handed Tottenham their 16th defeat of the Premier League season. They couldn’t respond to West Ham’s big win over Wolves and stayed 18th in the table following a 1-0 loss at Sunderland. To have any chance of moving out of the relegation zone, Spurs must record their first win in the league since they defeated Crystal Palace away on December 28.
To boost their chances of getting points on board, De Zerbi will be hoping to have more and more of his injured players return in the coming weeks. Sadly, the Italian tactician has lost key players Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero to season-ending injuries. In midweek, though, he received an injury boost, with Rodrigo Bentancur returning to team training after a three-month layoff following hamstring surgery. Along with Bentancur, James Maddison was also spotted in team training.
James Maddison’s injury return timeline emerges
James Maddison suffered an ACL injury against Newcastle United in a club friendly last August. He subsequently underwent surgery for a knee injury and has since been out of action. The England international has been working hard in his rehabilitation for months, hoping to play at least some part this season and help the team.
Indeed, Spurs have missed the 29-year-old’s creativity, energy and experience while sitting 18th in the table. Maddison, who confessed to sacrificing his body to help the Lilywhites win the Europa League, is now looking in good shape. De Zerbi has not publicly commented on whether the playmaker will actually feature before May, but an update on his return timeline has now emerged.
According to the Tottenham transfer insider (h/t CaughtOffside), Maddison is nearing the end of his taxing rehab process. He could be around two weeks away from a return to first-team action.
“Expectation that Madders could be around two weeks from a return to first-team action,” the transfer insider claimed.
If this timeline is accurate, Maddison could potentially be in the squad for the final four games of the season. Spurs play Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton in May, and De Zerbi could do with the England international heading into the final fixtures of the season as he looks to keep the club up. So, he could be available potentially after the Wolves game.
It will be intriguing to see whether the playmaker plays anytime soon for Spurs. However, Tottenham are unlikely to rush Maddison back into action despite their desperation to stave off relegation.