James Maddison Cleared to Face Crystal Palace: Tottenham's Injury Update

James Maddison has been cleared to face Crystal Palace on Saturday, easing Tottenham fears after the playmaker hobbled off at Stamford Bridge in midweek.

The England international lasted just 51 minutes of Spurs’ 2-0 win at Chelsea, his limp raising immediate concern that his long road back from anterior cruciate ligament damage had taken another unwelcome twist. Given the careful management of his minutes since his May return, it looked like trouble.

Roberto De Zerbi moved quickly to shut that down.

“James is available,” the Spurs head coach confirmed on Friday. “This week he didn't work like the other players, but for tomorrow he is available and he is a special player for us. A special player because of the character and he has unique characteristics.”

Maddison’s season has already felt like a balancing act between his competitive edge and the demands of a repaired knee. De Zerbi made it clear that the club will keep erring on the side of caution, even if the No 10 is desperate to play every minute.

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

“So, I think it's not a problem if he loses two days (training), but then we have to analyse if we take risk or not. If we take risk like Pedro Porro (against Aston Villa) or (Dejan) Kulusevski. We are lucky to have a big squad and it's important to not take risk with new injuries.”

The message was the same with Destiny Udogie. The Italian full-back, who has battled a knee issue and missed the wins over Coventry and Chelsea, is also back in the squad for the visit of Palace.

“He is available,” De Zerbi said, before adding a note of realism, “but is another problematic player in terms of injuries now because he can't work consistently during the weeks.

“After Manchester United he didn't work with the group for a long time. And this season is different the situation because we have a great medical staff and we are taking the right decision for each player in the right moment and in the right situation.

“Maybe we made some mistake with Pedro, with Aston Villa, but not medical staff, it was together, me too and my staff, but it's part of the job.”

Spurs arrive at this weekend with the mood high and the numbers emphatic. Victory at Stamford Bridge was their first there in eight years and only their second Premier League away win at Chelsea in the club’s history. It felt like more than three points; it felt like a marker.

De Zerbi, though, wants no hint of satisfaction seeping into the dressing room with 17th-place Palace next in line.

“We have not achieved our goal,” he warned. “We want our fans to be happy, but not now, at the end of the season.

“Now we have to push. We have to stay focused. We have to increase, improve the spirit, the appetite to win games in a row.

“One or two times is not enough.”

The Italian leaned on the strength of the dressing room as the key reason he believes that mindset will hold. He reeled off the names as if ticking off lieutenants in a dressing-room hierarchy.

“I believe in my players as people because we have so many leaders in our group. (Andy) Robertson, (Micky) Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, JP Van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, Rodrigo Bentancur, Tosin (Adarabioyo), Ben Davies, Maddison.

“They want to push to keep the level of mentality, spirit and appetite high and especially now because football is going in this direction.”

Maddison back on the teamsheet, Udogie available again, a historic win at Chelsea in the bank and Palace fighting to stay clear of danger: Tottenham’s platform is set. What they do with this surge of momentum will say plenty about where De Zerbi’s first season in north London is really heading.