Roberto De Zerbi is carefully considering James Maddison for a return to the pitch. The Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach acknowledged Maddison’s talent but expressed caution about rushing him back after his long-term knee injury.
Maddison’s Return to Training
Maddison has returned to full training last month. He has been included in the last three matchday squads. He has been an unused substitute due to his experience and importance within the group.
Maddison hasn’t featured competitively for Spurs since their Europa League semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt on 1 May 2025. He sadly ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) during pre-season tour ahead of this campaign.
De Zerbi’s Hesitation
De Zerbi is unsure whether the creative talent is physically ready for match action ahead of Leeds United on Monday. The match kicks off at 8pm UK.
After a long spell on the sidelines and given the intensity and rhythm of the Premier League, De Zerbi has been impressed by Maddison’s qualities in training.
“I’m thinking about James Maddison because I’m watching a top, top player,” admitted Roberto, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon.
“Maybe he’s not ready yet to play, but as a physical condition, for the rhythm, for the intensity of the game. We are playing in the Premier League, the most difficult league in terms of intensity and rhythm but, as a player, he’s great. As a coach watching one player like this, especially for me because I was a number 10 and I’m sensitive in number 10 players like Xavi Simons, Maddison, (Dejan) Kulusevski and (Mohammed) Kudus we have a lot of number 10, but I want to see.”
Elsewhere, De Zerbi revealed when he expects Dominic Solanke to return as well as an update on Guglielmo Vicario.