James Maddison is available for Tottenham's home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday, manager Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed. The midfielder limped off in the 51st minute of Spurs' 2-0 win at Chelsea last week, and for a few days nobody at the club was certain how much of a problem it was.
De Zerbi was calm about it. "This week he didn't work like the other players, but for tomorrow he is available and he is a special player for us," he said. The tone of that answer matters, because Maddison is one of the few players at Spurs whose return from injury has already been a long story.
A history Spurs cannot ignore
Maddison missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. This season began with another setback when he fractured his shoulder in the opening-weekend defeat at Brentford. He returned to the starting line-up earlier this month and scored a spectacular goal in a 3-1 win over Coventry. Two wins, against Coventry and then Chelsea, have come since he came back into the side.
Why De Zerbi is being careful
The Italian said players coming back from long injuries have to work harder than the rest, and that Maddison has been doing that consistently for four or five weeks. He added that missing two days of training should not be a problem, but that the staff still have to decide whether to take the risk. That last line is the real answer. Available does not mean certain to start.
What Palace will meet
Spurs are 14th in the Premier League after climbing out of the relegation zone, so Saturday is a chance to build on two good results. Maddison, 29, joined from Leicester City in 2023 on a five-year contract in a deal worth £40m. He has 17 goals and 21 assists in 85 appearances for the club.
Our prediction: Maddison will be in the squad and likely used with care, perhaps starting if his fitness checks out on the day, with minutes managed once the game is in hand. The wider picture is that Spurs have started to look like a team that can win without him and a better one when he plays, which is precisely what De Zerbi wants.
Match context: Premier League, Tottenham v Crystal Palace, Saturday 31 October 2026. Maddison, 29, signed from Leicester City in 2023 on a five-year deal (£40m). Source: BBC Sport (Paul Battison), 30 October 2026.
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