Tottenham’s Maddison Injury Could Shape Their Season Before It Even Starts

Tottenham’s biggest concern over James Maddison’s latest hip problem is not simply whether he makes the opening-day squad. It is what the recurrence could mean for a team trying to build a new identity under Roberto De Zerbi.

Maddison is coming off a difficult period after missing much of last season with a serious knee injury. Now, with a recurring hip issue being carefully managed, Spurs are once again having to balance their desire to get one of their most creative players back on the pitch with the risk of rushing him. Reports say Tottenham remain hopeful he can be involved against Brentford. That uncertainty makes Tottenham’s need for attacking depth even more obvious.

The club has invested heavily this summer, with Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke among the major additions. Reports have also suggested that Tottenham are still looking for further attacking reinforcements.

That could become particularly important under De Zerbi. His teams traditionally rely heavily on technical quality, movement and players capable of receiving the ball between the lines. A fit Maddison would naturally be one of the players Spurs could use to make that system work.

But Tottenham cannot build an entire attacking plan around one player staying healthy. That was one of the lessons from last season, when injuries to several important players significantly disrupted the squad. Maddison himself acknowledged how severe Tottenham’s injury problems had become, describing the situation as “astronomical” and arguing that having key players available could have dramatically changed their campaign.

The latest setback therefore creates an early test for De Zerbi. If Maddison is unavailable, Spurs will need other players to provide creativity rather than simply expecting someone to copy his role. If he is available but not fully fit, managing his minutes could become just as important as selecting him.

For Tottenham supporters, the hope will be that this is simply a manageable setback rather than the beginning of another prolonged absence.

But the bigger lesson is already clear: if Spurs want a significantly better 2026/27 season, they need enough attacking quality that one player’s fitness does not determine how dangerous the team can be.