Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has stated that he is unwilling to jeopardize James Maddison’s health ahead of the Spurs’ friendly against Chelsea.
Maddison has yet to feature in any of Tottenham’s preseason fixtures this summer, with the Italian manager taking a cautious approach to the 29-year-old’s return following a season plagued by injuries.
The midfielder missed the majority of the 2025/26 campaign due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained last August during Tottenham’s final preseason match of their Asia tour against Newcastle. He only made a comeback in the final three games of the season, helping Spurs secure their Premier League status.
Although Maddison was included in the 36-man squad for Tottenham’s recent preseason tour of New Zealand and Australia, De Zerbi does not believe he is ready to participate in Saturday’s friendly against London rivals Chelsea in Sydney.
“James has a minor issue. As I have said before, I don’t want to take any risks, especially at this point in the season. Particularly for James, given his long-term injury last season. Now is not the right time to take risks. We will resume work when we return to London,” De Zerbi explained.
At this stage, the exact nature of Maddison’s problem remains unclear, but both De Zerbi and the player are undoubtedly disappointed that he has yet to regain match fitness during the preseason games.
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