Maddison Available for Spurs Ahead of Palace Clash
Tottenham have been handed a significant lift with Roberto De Zerbi confirming James Maddison is fit and available, despite fresh concerns over the midfielder’s fitness on a landmark night at Stamford Bridge.
The England international has endured a brutal run with injuries. He only returned from a serious anterior cruciate ligament problem at the end of last season, then saw his momentum checked again by a shoulder fracture in September. Spurs have had to tread carefully, easing him back in short bursts rather than risking another setback.
The patience appeared to pay off. Maddison scored on his first competitive start since May 2025 in the win over Coventry, then was thrust into a surprise starting role as Spurs claimed a rare and emotionally charged victory at Stamford Bridge. His early withdrawal in west London, though, cut through the celebrations and raised immediate alarm.
De Zerbi moved quickly to calm those fears.
“This week, Maddison didn’t work like other players, but for tomorrow he is available,” the Spurs head coach said. “He is a special player for us. He has unique characteristics.”
That last line matters. Spurs have looked a different side with Maddison between the lines, knitting attacks together and dictating tempo. De Zerbi knows it, and his staff have tailored the training schedule to keep their playmaker on the pitch when it counts most.
He is not the only key figure being carefully managed.
Destiny Udogie is also in contention, though De Zerbi admitted the full-back has become a recurring concern for the medical team.
“He is available,” De Zerbi said of his compatriot. “He is another problematic player in terms of injuries now because he can’t work consistently during the weeks. After United he didn’t work with us, with the group for a long time and this season is different because we have great medical staff and we are taking the right decision for each player in the right moment and in the right situation.”
The message is clear: Spurs will not gamble. Not with Maddison. Not with Udogie. Not this season.
There are still absentees. Lucas Bergvall remains sidelined with the knee injury he suffered in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Savio continues to manage a muscular problem, and Mykhailo Mudryk has been missing since the start of September with an ankle issue. The squad is stronger than it was a month ago, but far from complete.
All of that feeds into a potentially awkward assignment on Saturday.
Spurs face a Crystal Palace side stuck in a rut under Pierre Sage, who replaced Oliver Glasner in the summer. Palace have lurched from one performance to the next without any real rhythm, their form as uneven as their league position suggests.
The numbers are stark. The Eagles sit 17th, with just two wins all season. They have not tasted a league victory since a 3-1 success over Glasner’s Nottingham Forest at the start of October. Since then, the slide has been gradual but worrying.
On paper, this is the kind of fixture Spurs must control if they are serious about pushing on under De Zerbi. In reality, it is exactly the sort of game where sharpness, squad depth and the careful handling of fragile stars like Maddison and Udogie can define a month, or even a season.
