De Zerbi confirms Maddison availability after Chelsea injury scare

James Maddison is available for Tottenham following the injury scare that forced him off against Chelsea, manager Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed. BBC Sport reported that the England midfielder can be considered for Saturday's game against Crystal Palace, although De Zerbi said the club still needed to assess the risk involved in using him after a disrupted training week.

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The 29-year-old left the pitch in the 51st minute of Tottenham's 2-0 victory at Chelsea. His departure raised fresh fitness concerns because he had already endured two significant injury setbacks: an anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept him out for most of last season, followed by a fractured shoulder at the start of this campaign.

De Zerbi acknowledged that Maddison had not followed the same training programme as his team-mates this week. He nevertheless pointed to the midfielder's consistent work over the preceding four or five weeks, saying that missing two days did not necessarily present a problem. His comments confirmed availability without committing Tottenham to giving Maddison a particular role or amount of playing time.

Maddison suffered the shoulder fracture in Tottenham's opening-weekend defeat at Brentford. He returned to the starting line-up earlier this month and scored in a 3-1 victory over Coventry. The subsequent win at Chelsea gave Spurs victories in both matches since his return to the starting side, before his early departure from the second of those games prompted the latest concern.

Those results have lifted Tottenham out of the Premier League relegation zone and into 14th place. De Zerbi described Maddison as an important player for the team while also stressing the additional work required of footballers returning from lengthy injuries. The manager's assessment leaves a distinction between the midfielder being available and a final decision on whether playing him would be an acceptable risk.

Maddison joined Tottenham from Leicester City in 2023, signing a five-year contract in a transfer worth £40m. According to BBC Sport, he has recorded 17 goals and 21 assists across 85 appearances for the club. His availability follows an interrupted start to the season, with De Zerbi's latest update easing immediate concerns without removing the need for a careful assessment.