Daijiworld Media Network- London
London, May 6: In a major setback for Tottenham Hotspur, England international James Maddison has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, the club confirmed on Monday.
The influential midfielder sustained the injury during Spurs' 3-1 victory over Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the Europa League semifinal last Thursday. Initial assessments had offered some hope, with manager Ange Postecoglou optimistic that the injury was not serious. However, further medical evaluations have revealed that the damage is more severe than initially feared.
As a result, Maddison will miss the decisive second leg clash in Norway later this week, as well as any potential involvement in the Europa League final scheduled to take place in Bilbao on May 21, should Tottenham qualify. The 28-year-old will also be unavailable for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
Hailing from Coventry, Maddison has been a rare bright spark in what has otherwise been a turbulent domestic season for the North London club. Despite Tottenham’s struggles in the Premier League, the midfielder has made a significant impact, scoring 12 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions. Notably, three of those goals and three assists have come during the club’s impressive European run.
Currently languishing in 16th position on the Premier League table, Tottenham have managed just 38 points from 35 matches. They sit just one point behind both Manchester United and Everton, while champions Liverpool are comfortably on top with 82 points. Arsenal follow in second with 67, while Manchester City occupy third spot with 64 points.
To compound their woes, Spurs have managed just one victory since the end of February, marking one of their poorest league runs in recent memory. Injuries, inconsistent form, and a lack of rhythm have plagued Postecoglou’s debut season at the helm.
Speaking before the confirmation of his injury layoff, Maddison expressed deep frustration at the team’s underwhelming performance this season, emphasizing his desire to end the club’s long wait for silverware.
“It hurts me a lot that we’re having a poor season,” Maddison had said. “But this is why we’re so motivated for this competition, because the season can still be so special. People talk all the time about Tottenham being without silverware for however many years, but we’re in the last four, and we’ve got a great opportunity in a competition we’ve been pretty solid in this year. We want to reward them because we feel the support.”
With Maddison sidelined, Spurs will now have to dig deep as they attempt to salvage pride in Europe and avoid a further slide in the league table.