James Maddison is yet to feature at the start of Tottenham's preseason, and Roberto De Zerbi has explained why.
Maddison missed much of last season after tearing his ACL roughly this time last year during Son Heung-min's farewell outing.
The playmaker's presence was sorely missed, with his mightily unfortunate injury setting the tone for a campaign that was ravaged by fitness setbacks. Fellow creator Dejan Kulusevski didn't notch a single minute last term due to the patella injury he suffered last May, while Xavi Simons' debut campaign ended prematuraly thanks to an ACL tear.
Maddison recovered in time to play a role down the stretch, with the club's desperate situation almost forcing De Zerbi to take a risk. Still, he only played 34 minutes across the final three games of the season.
It's fair to say that if Spurs weren't at risk of succumbing to the second tier, Maddison would've enjoyed the whole season off and resetting this summer.
De Zerbi confirms minor Maddison injury at start of preseason
Maddison is widely tipped to become club captain ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, with Cristian Romero bound to depart after just a year in the position. Romero's sole season as skipper was a disaster, and even though he proved again at the World Cup just how good he can be, this feels like the right time to part ways.
However, some are concerned with Maddison's absence at the start of preseason. Explaining why we haven't seen our No. 10 in action, De Zerbi said (via Alasdair Gold): "Maddison has a small problem, and I said I don't want to take any risks with anyone on this tour. He had a serious injury last season."
The Italian's squad management down under has been wise, with plenty of youngsters earning opportunities. Those returning from the World Cup are starting to feature, and we could see the likes of Jan Paul van Hecke in action against Chelsea this weekend.
As for Maddison, it's not yet clear when we'll next catch a glimpse of him. Even if his latest setback isn't major, De Zerbi is intent on ensuring his No. 10 is fully up to speed before he returns to action.
At the moment, Spurs are once again desperately short of playmakers. While there's been positive updates regarding Kulusevski's recovery, we have no idea when he'll return to a level we're familiar with. Simons is out until the new year, so the club is counting on Maddison to be available for the opening weekend of the season.
Unless, of course, we dip our toe into the transfer market.
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