Why Tottenham may be in denial about James Maddison amid latest injury recurrence
Tottenham Hotspur fans have been waiting on James Maddison for far too long.
The Lilywhites saw the attacking midfielder make his return to fitness at the backend of last season, recovering from a serious knee injury that kept him out almost the whole campaign.
The 29-year-old managed to play in Spurs' final three Premier League games of the 2025-26 season, and would have been hoping for a strong pre-season.
However, Roberto De Zerbi hasn't been able to use the former England international during Spurs' pre-season tour, which has raised serious concerns.
The club have had positive results against the likes of Chelsea, Sydney and Auckland FC, with De Zerbi testing out some of his new signings.
However, Maddison's latest setback comes at a cruel time, with the clock now against him for a Tottenham return.
Why Tottenham may be in denial about James Maddison
Maddison is supposed to be in his peak years, but they are currently being wasted on the sidelines.
His 375-day absence came after picking up a knee injury against Bodo/Glimt in May of 2025, with the 1-1 draw to Leeds United on 11 May 2026 being his first appearance in over a year for the Lilywhites.
Now, Paul O'Keefe has reported that Maddison has a hip issue that Tottenham have been trying to manage throughout pre-season.
It's said to be a recurrence of the same issue that he once had.
The Englishman first had a hip issue for Leicester City in 2020 that kept him out for seven days in pre-season before picking up the same injury in July, which kept him out for another 71 days.
He was then back on the physio table for around another six weeks in the same season for the same hip problem.
Tottenham may be in denial if they believe that Maddison will ever get back to full fitness, as he seems to be getting injured one way or another even after all this time of recovery.
It may be time for people to start facing the facts.
Tottenham have forgotten what Maddison offers; here's why
There has been some talk of Maddison being made captain, but what good is that if he is constantly injured?
He's been out for that long that fans have most likely started to forget the influence that he can have on the field.
The attacking midfielder grabbed 22 goals and assists combined in 45 games for Spurs in the 2024-25 campaign, creating chances at a rate of 2.03 per 90 minutes.
He was also completing 1.64 dribbles on average every game, while getting 1.93 shots off, too, proving a key asset in the forward line.
The former Norwich City star won 3.17 fouls per game in that season, as his set-piece qualities may have also been forgotten.
It remains to be seen whether or not Maddison can come back and be the same player he once was, as he now faces a race against time to get back fit for Brentford in Tottenham's first game of the new Premier League season.