James Maddison Cleared to Face Crystal Palace

James Maddison has been cleared to face Crystal Palace on Saturday, with Roberto De Zerbi insisting his playmaker will be ready despite another fitness scare.

The 29-year-old limped off early in the second half of Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Chelsea, a sight that instantly tightened stomachs in the away end. Given his recent history, it was impossible not to fear the worst.

Maddison lost most of last season to a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury. He then fractured his shoulder on the opening weekend of this campaign in the defeat at Brentford. For a player trying to re-establish rhythm and authority at the heart of Spurs’ midfield, it has felt like a career constantly being interrupted just as it starts to flow.

This month finally brought a different story. Restored to the starting XI, Maddison announced his return with a stunning strike in a 3-1 win over Coventry, the kind of goal that underlines exactly why Tottenham paid £40m to bring him from Leicester City in 2023 and tied him down to a five-year deal.

So when he hobbled off at Stamford Bridge in the 51st minute, concern spread quickly. De Zerbi moved to calm that anxiety.

“This week he didn't work like the other players, but for tomorrow he is available and he is a special player for us,” the Spurs manager said.

He made it clear that Maddison’s workload remains under careful control, given the long road back from his ACL lay-off.

“For James Maddison or the players who are coming from a long injury, they have to work more than the other players, but he has already four or five weeks – he is working very hard and consistently,” De Zerbi added.

The message was firm: this is management, not panic.

The staff will still weigh up how far to push him. “So, I think it's not a problem if he loses two days [training], but then we have to analyse if we take the risk or not.” Available, yes. Wrapped in cotton wool, perhaps a little.

What is not in doubt is his importance. Since Maddison’s return to the starting line-up, Tottenham have beaten Coventry and Chelsea, clambering out of the relegation zone and into 14th in the Premier League. The table still makes uneasy reading, but the direction of travel has finally shifted.

Maddison’s numbers underline his influence: 17 goals and 21 assists in 85 appearances for the north London club. When he plays, Spurs look more inventive, more connected, more like a side that expects to dictate games rather than survive them.

Crystal Palace arrive with their own ambitions, but the headline is simple. Tottenham’s chief creator is fit, in form, and back in the spotlight at a stage of the season where his club can no longer afford to look over their shoulder.