In a scene not at all unfamiliar to the Tottenham Hotspur faithful, the Lilywhites are entering the 2026/27 Premier League season hobbled with a couple of top players not fully fit, all the while they are still trying to close deals for much needed attacking reenforcements before facing tricky local rivals Brentford this weekend on Matchday 1.
James Maddison is going to be crucial to Tottenham with no attacking signings confirmed and the main starting No. 10 Xavi Simons coming off an ACL tear at the end of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. But Maddison himself is not yet fully recovered from his own ACL tear in 2024/25. He returend at the end of the last season, but he still has not started a full 90 minutes for Spurs.
Meanwhile, Destiny Udogie is, likewise, coming off a tough season in which he was injured frequently, and he has remained below full fitness during the preseason, failing to get on the pitch. He did return to play at the end of the 2025/26 season, too, but he looked far less sharp than even Madders off an ACL tear.
Tottenham need the experienced duo this season
The good news is that Udogie and Maddison are finally trending in the right direction. After returning to practice with the rest of their Tottenham Hotspur teammates this week ahead of the big Matchday 1 clash against Brentford, Sam Tabuteau of The Standard is reporting that the duo are pushing to be involved in the game despite their injuries. Tabuteau says that Tottenham are simply managing Udogie carefully after how many soft tissue injuries he had last season, while Maddison is healthy but just trying to work up to top fitness.
Given he played more minutes in the preseason, James Maddison seems closer to a return than Destiny Udogie, and of the two, he would be more likely to start against Brentford. But with Andy Robertson in the squad and Conor Gallagher available and high on De Zerbi's list of personal favorites, there is not a whole lot of urgency to rush them into starting. The last thing Spurs need is any aggravation for Udogie, so he could be an option off the bench, just as Madders could continue to be an impact sub, perhaps getting closer to 30 minutes than the 15 he was previously getting at the end of the 2025/26 season following a full offseason of rest.
In theory, Maddison and Udogie have had enough time to be 100 percent after the offseason and can start, but maybe Roberto De Zerbi will play them off the bench until they are fully sharp. Or maybe he was prioritizing rest all along. Either way, the good news is that Udogie and Maddison are trending in the right direction as the season begins.
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