James Maddison Set to Return for Tottenham Against Everton

James Maddison is set to return for Tottenham against Everton, with Roberto De Zerbi confirming the midfielder is finally ready to be involved after a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

Maddison has missed Spurs’ last three games in all competitions with a shoulder problem, a niggle that arrived just as he was beginning to knit together the team’s attacking play again. The medical staff have now cleared him, and De Zerbi plans to bring him back into the fold for the clash with Everton, a timely boost as the schedule begins to tighten.

While Maddison steps back in, Dejan Kulusevski steps away. The Swede will remain out, having not trained at all over the past week. He had only recently returned to the grass after more than a year out with a knee injury, but a minor setback has halted that progress.

No, Kulusevski is not working with us the last week,” De Zerbi said. “It’s not a big problem. It’s a normal problem.

Tottenham are taking no risks. After such a long absence, any hint of discomfort is enough to slow things down, even if the manager insists the issue is not serious.

Mykhailo Mudryk is also unavailable. De Zerbi did not hide his irritation at how the winger picked up his latest problem, calling it a “stupid injury”, and Spurs are treading carefully with his recovery after his long spell without regular football.

It was a stupid injury for Mudryk, but we hope he will be back soon,” De Zerbi added. “It’s a normal process when a player has not played in a long time.

So Maddison returns, but Kulusevski and Mudryk remain out. For a Tottenham side trying to build rhythm, the balance between risk and reward in these comebacks may shape more than just one weekend.