Tottenham star James Maddison is continuing to recover from his ACL injury.
Roberto De Zerbi has fixed several problems since arriving in North London, but Tottenham Hotspur are far from Premier League safety.
Spurs moved one point clear of the relegation zone after claiming a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, and now have a chance to create some distance between them and West Ham by beating Leeds United at home on Monday evening. There is now a growing confidence that the North Londoners will still be playing Premier League football next term after back-to-back wins under De Zerbi, but there remains plenty of time for twists and turns before their fate is sealed.
Tottenham have been dealt with injuries to some key players in recent weeks. De Zerbi has lost Xavi Simons to a cruel ACL injury, while Dominic Solanke has been ruled out of the Leeds United fixture. In the wake of Simons’ injury, fans have been desperately calling for their Italian gaffer to use James Maddison.
Roberto De Zerbi makes a telling revelation on James Maddison
James Maddison has been an unused substitute for Tottenham in their last three matches. The creative midfielder has acted as a motivating voice off the pitch, and truly, since his return to the matchday squad, Spurs have seen an upturn in fortunes.
The 29-year-old is recovering from an ACL rupture sustained in pre-season, nearly nine months ago, which has resulted in him enjoying no competitive minutes for Tottenham this season. James Maddison dropped a hint on Instagram last week that he could return vs. Leeds United, but De Zerbi has seemingly ruled out the prospects. The Spurs boss has also revealed that the England international will not be involved in any behind-closed-doors friendly to regain full fitness.
When asked if Maddison could return against Leeds, De Zerbi said in his press conference (h/t Football London): “It’s not so easy. Maddison has big experience, I think he knows better than anyone when is the right moment. We have to consider we are fighting for a big target, but I think he can be important for us and for that I wanted him to be with the team for Brighton, Wolves and Villa.”
When asked if Maddison needs minutes behind closed doors before he is match-fit, our gaffer added: “No, no. Now he stays with us until the end [of the season]. He is working very well, very hard and working with us. He reached the best condition to play.”
Patience is a virtue!
Maddison may have become increasingly frustrated watching his teammates from the sidelines, whilst continuing his taxing rehab from an ACL injury. The serious knee injury crushed his dream to feature at this summer’s World Cup, and the last thing the experienced midfielder would want to witness is relegation with Tottenham.
The English star has been back on the bench for the past three games, but has not yet passed fit to play. Maddison is patiently waiting to get the nod from the medical department, as the Lilywhites strive to achieve safety. Perhaps, the fans could witness Maddison get some minutes in a crunch London derby vs. Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
For now, he must continue working hard to get back to full fitness and motivate the team from the bench.