Tottenham midfielder James Maddison is available to face Crystal Palace on Saturday despite an injury scare last week, manager Roberto De Zerbi says. The 29-year-old England international limped off in the 51st minute of Spurs' 2-0 victory at Chelsea, sparking worries about his fitness.
Maddison missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. He then fractured his shoulder in Tottenham's opening weekend defeat at Brentford this season, before returning to the starting line-up earlier this month. He scored a spectacular goal in a 3-1 win against Coventry.
When asked about Maddison's condition, De Zerbi said he will be "available" for the visit of Palace. "This week he didn't work like the other players, but for tomorrow he is available and he is a special player for us," said De Zerbi. He added that players returning from long injuries must work harder, and that Maddison, who has already had four or five weeks of work, is training very hard and consistently. The manager said missing two days of training would not be a problem, but the club would still need to weigh up the risk of playing him.
Tottenham have beaten Coventry and Chelsea since Maddison's return to the starting line-up. The club sits 14th in the Premier League after climbing out of the relegation zone. Maddison joined from Leicester City in 2023 on a five-year contract in a deal worth £40m. He has scored 17 goals and provided 21 assists in 85 appearances for the north London club.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing