Maddison Return Offers De Zerbi a Lifeline as Tottenham Faces Everton

James Maddison has returned to full squad training this week and is pushing for selection when Tottenham Hotspur hosts Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 12, 2026. The England international has been sidelined since Tottenham’s opening-day loss to Brentford, where he suffered a broken shoulder.

Maddison’s latest injury followed a prolonged recovery during the 2025–26 season from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. His availability provides a significant boost to a Tottenham midfield that has struggled to generate clear scoring opportunities in the final third, although manager Roberto De Zerbi must still configure his starting lineup around a heavily modified attacking unit.

Tottenham has secured just one point from its opening three matches of the 2026–27 campaign. Back-to-back defeats against Brentford and Newcastle United were followed by a scoreless draw against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

The attacking changes have been intensified by the loss of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, a late-summer transfer window signing. Mudryk previously played under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk during the 2021–22 season before moving to the Premier League. He suffered an ankle injury during a training session shortly after making his Tottenham debut as a substitute against Nottingham Forest.

Club medical staff have ruled Mudryk out for a minimum of six to eight weeks. His projected return is aligned with Tottenham’s away fixture against Leeds United on November 7, 2026.


Further progress is being reported for Swedish international Dejan Kulusevski, who has been sidelined for more than 500 days following a complex kneecap injury. Kulusevski has rejoined training sessions, but the club’s medical staff remains highly cautious regarding his competitive return.

Sweden national team manager Jon Dahl Tomasson addressed Kulusevski’s recovery path during the recent international window. Tomasson confirmed that while the player is close to returning, any comeback will require careful consultation between Kulusevski, the national team staff, and Tottenham.

Tottenham’s long-term injury list also features Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons and French winger Wilson Odobert. Simons underwent surgery after tearing his ACL against Wolverhampton Wanderers in April 2026 and is not expected to return to first-team action until early 2027.

Odobert is also recovering from an ACL injury but is further along in his rehabilitation program. The club expects him to potentially return before the end of December, providing additional squad depth during the congested winter fixture period.

De Zerbi succeeded to the Tottenham helm after previous managerial stints at Brighton & Hove Albion and Olympique de Marseille. His possession-heavy, high-pressing system has been hampered by a rapidly expanding injury list that has disrupted his attacking rotations.

Against Sean Dyche’s Everton, De Zerbi will rely on the potential return of Maddison to spark a team currently searching for its clinical edge.