Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou (58) has dismissed James Maddison’s (27) surprise comments.
‘Spurs Web,’ which covers Tottenham news, reported on June 6 (KST), “Postecoglou refuted Maddison’s claims that his recovery from injury is slowing down. He appeared to deny the player’s claims when asked about his injury status.”
Tottenham will host West Ham United in the 15th round of the 2023-2024 Premier League (PL) on Aug. 8 at 5:15 a.m. at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. Tottenham currently sits in fifth place with 27 points (8 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses), while West Ham is ninth with 21 points (6 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses).
Spurs are looking for their first win in five games.
Spurs were unbeaten through the 10th round of the league with eight wins and two draws, but faltered shortly afterward with three straight losses. Fortunately, they snapped that streak with a 3-3 draw at Manchester City in their last game.
Now it’s time for a win. Postecoglou held a press conference ahead of the West Ham game. He talked about Maddison’s recovery from injury.
Maddison joined Tottenham from Leicester City ahead of the start of the season and immediately became vice-captain, assisting ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min, and scored three goals and provided five assists in 11 league games. In August, he was named PL Player of the Month. 온라인카지노 Maddison’s chemistry with Son Heung-min was particularly strong, creating a new bromance.
However, injuries slowed him down. Maddison went down with a twisted ankle during the Premier League 11th round match against Chelsea on March 7. He was substituted in first-half stoppage time after complaining of pain in his left ankle, and there was little contact with the opposition, which was a major concern.
Post-match tests revealed that Maddison had damaged ankle ligaments.
He is expected to miss around two months. Head coach Angie Postecoglou said that Maddison was unlikely to return until 2023, and that he was expected to return around January next year.
But it looks like his recovery is taking longer than expected. In fact, there are now reports that he may not even be back until February. The Athletic reports, “Madison was initially expected to miss two months with the ankle injury. But he indicated in an interview that the injury could be longer.”
Maddison appeared on Amazon Prime and was interviewed by former goalkeeper Ben Foster. “He’s healing well. It’s obviously frustrating because, like I said, I started the season really well. It’s like a slow burner (a performance that catches fire slowly). But slowly but surely it’s getting better.”
Madison continued, “This is probably the longest injury I’ve ever had. I’ve never been out more than three months. It’s frustrating. You know what it’s like to be injured, but every day is hard. Especially at Tottenham, we have a big window on the training ground, so you can see everything from the physio room. You can see all the players training and preparing for the game.”
“I feel helpless, but I’m recovering well. It’s just one of those things. It’s going to take a little bit of time, you just have to accept it and do the rehabilitation,” he added, explaining that his return could be delayed.
This is great news for Spurs fans.
If Maddison’s return is delayed by more than a month, Spurs will be without him for an extended period of time. It’s even worse because recently returned midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has also re-injured his ankle and will be out for more than two months.
Spurs are definitely feeling the pinch without Maddison, who was all over the pitch and assembling the attack. Sure, Giovani Lo Celso has exceeded expectations with back-to-back goals in two games. But he can’t completely fill Maddison’s shoes. Especially in January, when Son Heung-min will be away at the Asian Cup and Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr will be at the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Postecoglou disagreed, refuting Maddison’s claims and giving Spurs fans hope: “I don’t know if I can trust Maddison’s diagnosis, I’m not sure of his medical qualifications,” he said, “You have to leave (Maddison’s injury) to the medical team. As far as I know, it’s progressing as expected.”
If the medical team is on track, Madison could be back by mid-January of next year. “Whether Madison is recovering slowly or making a full recovery at a normal pace, we just want him back as soon as possible,” said Spurs Webb. He is essential to everything we do. The Spurs are a much better team when he’s able to play,” praying that Madison is wrong.
Meanwhile, Spurs have some good news.
Cristian Romero is back from suspension. The key center-back was sidelined for a while after picking up a direct red card against Chelsea last time out, but he should be fit to play against West Ham.
Postecoglou said: “It’s obviously good to have Romero back because Micky van der Vaan, Eric Dier and Ashley Phillips are all unavailable. He’s the only center back who can play at the moment. It’s great to have him back.”
Romero’s vice-captaincy will also be a big boost for ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min. “Romero is a fantastic player and a leader in the squad,” said Postecoglou. After the Chelsea game, it was a heavy burden on Heung-min’s shoulders to lose Madison and him for so long, so it’s good to have him back from a leadership perspective.”