Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison is set for an extended period on the sidelines after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
Maddison, 28, was stretchered off nine minutes after coming on as a second half substitute, in Spurs 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in a preseason friendly fixture on Saturday.
Manager Thomas Frank had described the injury as ‘brutal’ after the match, leading to doubts over the England international’s availability for the season’s opening months.
“We can confirm that James Maddison will undergo surgery for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee”, Spurs revealed in a statement on Thursday morning.
“The 28-year-old midfielder suffered the injury during our pre-season friendly against Newcastle United on Sunday in Seoul.
His surgery will take place in the coming days and, following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team”, the statement continued.
“Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wishes James a full and speedy recovery. We will be supporting him every step of the way.”
Maddison previously suffered a knee injury that had ruled him out of the club’s Europa League final win over Manchester United in May.
The former Leicester midfielder will now undergo surgery in the ‘coming days’ and will miss the first few months of Spurs’ campaign.
The news comes as a huge blow to the North London side who are also without Sweden forward Dejan Kulusevski for the start of the season.
The club have also witnessed the departure of captain Heung-Min Son, who joined Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC after ten years at the club.
With their 2025-26 EPL campaign set to begin against Burnley on the 16th of August, Tottenham may need to look for new signings to strengthen the squad.
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