Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Fri 22 May 2026 7:10, UK

James Maddison has been showing what Tottenham Hotspur have been missing upon his return to action.

After missing the vast majority of the campaign, the Englishman made his return to the matchday squad for the 2-2 draw with Brighton last month.

Getting back up to speed, Maddison would finally wear Lilywhite once again against Leeds recently, coming on in the 1-1 draw.

Now, heading into the final day against Everton, Roberto De Zerbi’s hands remain tied, with the 29-year-old unable to make a full impact from the off.

At a time of need, the Italian’s frustrations continue as he strives to keep Spurs in the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi frustrations continue as he goes back to the drawing board

Joining the club during the most recent international break, De Zerbi was tasked with guiding the club to safety, while he inherited a razor thin squad that have been suffering with injuries for the best part of 18 months.

Maddison sits among this group, having missed the majority of the current season, after being one of Tottenham’s key performers as they limped to a 17th-place finish last term.

Earlier this week, Tottenham News discussed the prospects of Maddison starting against Everton on Sunday, with his drive and creative instincts proving crucial from the off.

Instead, De Zerbi’s frustrations continue, with Maddison – hailed “amazing” by Yves Bissouma – still unable to play for more than 30 minutes as he fully recovers from his woes.

This has been confirmed by both De Zerbi and the playmaker himself, so that rules out the prospect of a start this weekend.

As a result, he drops out of the predicted XI – though the Spurs boss still may opt for something different, with Yves Bissouma starting in place of Rodrigo Bentancur, adding more energy to the Spurs midfield after an underwhelming performance against Chelsea.

Elsewhere, Djed Spence will also be available, despite breaking his jaw at Stamford Bridge.

Following an incident with Liam Delap, the full-back will be wearing a protective face mask on Saturday, as Tottenham fight for their lives at the bottom of the Premier League.

James Maddison not only player Spurs have missed

De Zerbi knew the remit when he took charge, but it still does not change how frustrating it is to operate with a squad carrying injuries throughout.

As a result of issues with Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski, De Zerbi is left without any natural wingers, resulting in Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel being deployed out wide.

While it is no fault of their own, they are simply not wide players, with the electric Kudus racking up 52 successful dribbles across 19 starts, compared to the 66 of the aforementioned pair in a combined 33 starts.

Kudus has been a big miss out on the flank, and is a player who De Zerbi would have loved to have back, with the Ghanaian performing admirably in a much more conservative style earlier this season.

Alongside this, Xavi Simons would be forced off after what was potentially his best game in a Tottenham shirt against Brighton last month, with two goal contributions, 11 carries and 51 touches.

In this current side, De Zerbi is without anyone with the ability to be direct, and cause havoc with the ball at their feet.

He would have loved to have Maddison ready from the off on Sunday, though as has been the case for over a year at Spurs, the man in the dugout will have to wait.