View: Ange Postecoglou will be anxious over James Maddison after Tottenham injury
Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou face an anxious wait on the severity of James Maddison’s injury after he left the 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday (19 August) in a protective boot.
According to The Athletic journalist Charlie Eccleshare (21 August), taking to his personal Twitter account, the former Leicester City playmaker is set for a scan to assess the extent of the injury.
Maddison was seen leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches and wearing a protective boot, though he told reporters after the game that they were just a precaution.
The exact nature of the injury is still being assessed, according to The Athletic (21 August) though it’s understood to be a foot issue.
With the Lilywhites undergoing a promising and exciting new venture under Postecoglou’s control, Maddison has already proven a telling and decisive component for Spurs as they have picked up four points from a possible six in their opening two Premier League games.
In fact, Maddison along with Yves Bissouma has been Tottenham’s best performer in both games already proving why he is amongst the most influential and creative players in the Premier League.
Since Christian Eriksen left the club, Spurs have lacked a real decisive and creative spark in the midfield area but have certainly addressed that issue with the £40million signing of the former Leicester City midfielder (Sky Sports News, 29 June).
And against Brentford, the 26-year-old was excellent, showing no signs of any debut pressure as he took the match by the scruff of the neck at the Gtech Community Stadium. In addition to his two assists, he made six key passes from the 56 he completed, a successful passing accuracy of 89 per cent, and had one shot on target, as well as making one clearance, one interception and one tackle (Sofascore).
Against Manchester United, Maddison was at his brilliant best once more, piercing the Red Devils’ flailing midfield to shreds because of his fluid positioning in between the lines and sublime link-play with the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Bissouma.
Maddison may not have registered an assist on the day but he still formed a vital part of Tottenham’s triumph and contributed heavily in the game, registering two key passes, winning five of his eight ground duels, successfully completing 100% of his dribbles and five of his six long balls [SofaScore].
Already, the England international has proven how much Spurs have missed having a creative and imaginative component in the first eleven and right now Postecoglou will be praying and hoping that Maddison isn’t out for an extended period of time as he represents the only midfield outlet capable of fashioning chances for his teammates at a rapid rate.
In just two games, Maddison has proven his undeniable worth for Spurs and shown that he could prove the telling factor in whatever lofty ambitions they made hold under the Australian’s tutelage.
Tottenham fans will be waiting anxiously on those scan results because Maddison is such a precious commodity that they simply cannot afford to lose, even at this early stage of the campaign.
In other Tottenham News, John Wenham believes the playmaker offers more than just his goals and assists.