James Maddison is drawing ever closer to making his comeback from the serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury he suffered during pre-season. The 29-year-old was stretchered off during Tottenham's pre-season fixture against Newcastle United in Seoul and has been absent for the vast majority of the Premier League campaign.
During his time on the sidelines, Spurs have parted ways with two managers, Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, with Roberto De Zerbi now occupying the dugout. Since being sidelined, Maddison has been chronicling his recovery following surgery on his cruciate knee injury. In a fresh update on Instagram, the midfielder shared a clip of Spurs staff filming him as they zoomed in on the muscle in his leg. "Admin needs to work on the angle of videoing," he wrote, followed by laughing and muscle emojis.
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This follows footage shared by Spurs of Maddison training in the gym, which rapidly went viral. Supporters have been taken aback by the striking difference in muscle mass visible in his legs.
One fan commented: "You could see Maddison has lost a lot weight, especially in his leg muscles. When he is fit, he is a joy to watch. I wish him a speedy return," while another added: "Something wrong with his legs."
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A third added: "Looking at that, it's going to be a while still. Poor guy." Another observed: "If this is a recent piece of footage it's going to be a bit longer... The difference in his legs tell you that."
The former Leicester City player disclosed how isolated he has felt at times and his struggle with the psychological aspect throughout his recovery. "It was painful," he said. "It was difficult to accept, with a big season ahead, a World Cup year.
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"But it is what it is, you have to deal with it, crack on with the rehab and smile in the face of adversity. I've been working hard every day, head down, grit my teeth and get through it.
"There have been some tough days, some dark days, lonely days. But I'll get there and be back better and stronger, I have no doubt."
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Despite returning to the pitch in recent weeks, he is still anticipated to remain unavailable for the remainder of the campaign, with the club unlikely to take any chances.