James Maddison won’t play again this season after Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou confirmed the extent of a knee injury which the midfielder sustained last week
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that James Maddison will miss the rest of the season. Maddison, 28, suffered a knee injury in the build-up to Sunday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham.
His absence is a huge blow for Spurs, who could find themselves in the Europa League final against Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in Spain later this month. Postecoglou’s side face Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt in the second leg of their semi-final clash, leading 3-1 on aggregate after a comfortable victory last week.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s match, the Tottenham boss confirmed when asked about team news: “Madders from the first leg, so he’s out. He’ll miss the rest of this season and disappointing for him.
“I’m disappointed for him because he’s been a real catalyst for us. He’ll miss out but that’s been the story of our season. Everyone else from the first leg has travelled and they’re ready to go.”
Captain Son Heung-min also won’t be available but striker Dominic Solanke, who’s scored in Spurs’ last two European games to put them on the brink of the final, is fit. “No [he hasn’t travelled]. Dom is fine and ready to go, he’s trained with the team,” Postecoglou added.
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“Disappointing for Sonny. He has progressed and he’s a possibility to get minutes at the weekend but he hasn’t trained with the team yet.”
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario insists they have squad to cope without the likes of Maddison and Son. “We’re used to this [having injuries],” Vicario acknowledged. “We will not have Sonny and Madders for tomorrow [from the leadership group]. The entire squad will be crucial, including everyone who comes off the bench. The Spurs family will be important.”
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Postecoglou, whose future beyond this season remains uncertain, knows that Spurs need to finish the job and won’t underestimate Norway’s first-ever European semi-finalists: “Bodo are there on merit. They beat Lazio, Olympiakos; they’re tough teams.
“I’m from the other side of the world. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. We’re going to treat them with the respect they deserve and give our best.
“Missing Patrick Berg is a loss for them but I think it’s always been more about what they do as a team rather than individuals. They’ve sold a lot of players over the past five years but they’ve kept doing well.”
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