Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison is available for selection ahead of Saturday's match against Crystal Palace despite suffering an injury scare last week, manager Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed. The 29-year-old England international had sparked fitness concerns after being forced off with a limp in the 51st minute of Tottenham's 2-0 away victory against Chelsea.
Addressing Maddison's condition prior to the visit of Palace, De Zerbi made it clear that while the playmaker is in contention, his workload has been carefully managed. "This week he didn't work like the other players, but for tomorrow he is available and he is a special player for us," De Zerbi explained. "For James Maddison or the players who are coming from a long injury, they have to work more than the other players, but he has already four or five weeks - he is working very hard and consistently. So, I think it's not a problem if he loses two days [training], but then we have to analyse if we take the risk or not."
The setback at Stamford Bridge followed an already difficult run of injuries for Maddison, who missed the majority of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. His current campaign suffered another blow when he fractured his shoulder during a defeat at Brentford on the opening weekend. However, the seven-cap international made his comeback to the starting lineup earlier this month, marking his return with a spectacular goal in a 3-1 win over Coventry.
Maddison's presence in the starting eleven has coincided with an upturn in form for Tottenham, who have collected consecutive victories over Coventry and Chelsea to rise out of the relegation zone and sit 14th in the Premier League table. Since moving to north London from Leicester City in 2023 on a five-year deal valued at £40m, Maddison has registered 17 goals and 21 assists across 85 appearances for Spurs.