James Maddison has been captured in training gear in the background of a Tottenham social media video.
Posted to Tottenham’s official Instagram story, Maddison can briefly be seen wearing full training kit, including boots, as the camera shows a host of players getting ready to go out and train.
Maddison hasn’t kicked a competitive ball in anger for Spurs this season, having ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle on 3 August 2025.
As such, it was widely expected that the 29-year-old would be sidelined for the duration of this season, but now that may not be the case after all.
James Maddison return could save Tottenham’s season
Tottenham fans are holding out for a Lilywhite hero in shining armour to rescue them from their Premier League relegation battle, and who knows, Igor Tudor could be exactly that.
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However, after his underwhelming and short-lived reign as Juventus boss, it remains to be seen just how good an interim appointment that is by Tottenham chiefs, with his first test coming in a North London derby against Arsenal on Sunday.
In Maddison though, Spurs fans wouldn’t have any doubts over his ability to come back and turn the tide at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A miracle return such as that could well prove to be the catalyst for a renewed sense of belief and confidence around N17, like a king riding in front of his troops to prove he’s still standing in the hope of rallying them to success.
Without the England international running the show in midfield this season, the absence of his creative flair and production has been frustratingly obvious.
And with injuries in the middle of the park to Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski respectively, seeing their number 10 striding back out onto the pitch would be a sight for sore Spurs eyes.
How would Maddison fit into Tudor’s system?
Renowned for playing with a back three at Juventus, and indeed with other clubs he’s managed, Tudor is likely to implement that with Tottenham too.
He needs to get results fast, and so going with a formation and style he trusts is sure to be his line of thinking.
However, his 3-4-3 formation that he looks set to deploy wouldn’t appear to accommodate a natural number 10, and so he could be forced to play as an attacking eight in a central midfield two.
Pape Sarr is that profile of midfielder, and so a fit and ready to go Maddison could take his place, with a more defensive-minded player in Conor Gallagher operating alongside him to create a nice balance potentially.