Roberto De Zerbi faces one of the more delicate squad decisions of his tenure at Tottenham as the club prepares to face Leeds United on Monday evening in what could be a pivotal Premier League fixture.
James Maddison has been restricted to a place on the bench for Spurs’ last three league matches, with the club picking up positive results in that period while managing the 29-year-old’s recovery carefully.
De Zerbi has publicly stated he is “thinking” about including Maddison for the Leeds fixture, describing the midfielder’s availability as a “maybe” that has generated significant excitement among the fanbase.
Maddison brings a level of creativity and experience against Monday’s opponents that few others in the squad can match, having faced Leeds across different spells in both the Championship and Premier League with previous clubs.
Conor Gallagher has performed solidly in the attacking midfield role during the run of unbeaten results, giving De Zerbi genuine reason to be cautious about disrupting what has been a stable setup.
The concern is not merely tactical but physical, with Tottenham having already dealt with a troubling injury list this season that has included Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Dominic Solanke, and Cristian Romero.
Adding Maddison to a match prematurely and risking a fresh setback to his recovery would be a damaging outcome at a time when the club is building genuine momentum towards Premier League safety.
West Ham face Arsenal on the same matchday, meaning Spurs have a valuable opportunity to further extend the gap between themselves and the relegation zone with a positive result.
De Zerbi has earned considerable credit for steadying a club that appeared to be in serious trouble earlier in the season, and managing Maddison’s return with patience and discipline would reflect well on his medical and tactical judgment.
A cameo off the bench in the latter stages may ultimately represent the most sensible route for both player and manager, giving Maddison minutes on the pitch while limiting the exposure to risk.
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