We should've known our 2025/26 season was doomed the moment James Maddison collapsed to the Seoul World Cup Stadium turf last August.
As we said our goodbyes to a modern-day Tottenham hero in Son Heung-min, the thought of Maddison's seemingly significant knee injury lingered in the back of our minds.
The worst was revealed soon after, sparking a comedic panic within the club's hierarchy regarding our No. 10 position. A fresh playmaker should've been on the agenda even if Maddison's knee hadn't buckled in South Korea, but his ACL tear meant Spurs ought to have acquired a pair of creators, especially with Dejan Kulusevski's dodgy patella.
There was an embarrassing attempt to supply ample mitigation, and those leading the recruitment drive were fortunate that Xavi Simons somehow bought into whatever Thomas Frank sold him.
Xavi's maiden season in north London has been a struggle, but our new No. 7 has also shown enough to suggest that he could blossom into something majestic. His acclimatisation certainly would've been easier hadn't Frank been around for eight months, and if Maddison were available to provide on-pitch support.
The Englishman has documented some of his recovery on YouTube, perhaps setting himself up for a life of content creation after football. But before Madders thinks about finding London's best burger, he could yet have a role to play in ensuring Tottenham's dire campaign doesn't conclude in an unfathomable demise to the second tier.
Potential Maddison return is huge boost amid relegation fears
Tottenham's availability crisis is easing, folks. Igor Tudor's press conference on Friday brought an abundance of good news. Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur—remember those guys!—are on the comeback trail, and Maddison, Tudor confirmed, has a chance of playing before the end of the season.
“Maddison is already doing interesting things as well with the ball,” the interim boss said (via The Athletic). “Sprinting as well. I saw him. He is positive.”
When exactly Maddison could feature again is unclear, with ACL tears taking anywhere between six months and a year to fully recover from. We're currently seven-and-a-half months post-injury.
There's no denying just how sorely the 29-year-old's been missed. Even with Frank in charge, we certainly wouldn't be in our current position of peril had Maddison been available for much of the season. At his best, he's a do-it-all playmaker who supplies technical security in the build-up phase, relentless running out of possession, and masterful subtlety in the final third.
He was the heartbeat of Ange Postecoglou's Lilywhites, and would've been the fulcrum around which everything revolved under Frank. Now, we're hoping Tudor gets the chance to take advantage of Maddison's talents, even if we're subject to a rustier, watered-down iteration before the summer.
Just imagine the lift his return would give this group of players, let alone the fanbase.