James Maddison will miss Tottenham’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury, Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed.
The midfielder returned to training on Thursday but is not yet ready to feature at the City Ground. Maddison was hurt after landing awkwardly during Tottenham’s opening-weekend match against Brentford and has since missed the victory over Charlton Athletic and the defeat by Newcastle United.
De Zerbi is taking no chances with the 29-year-old, who only recently returned from a serious knee injury that kept him out for most of last season. The Tottenham head coach has indicated that Maddison will require further time before he can return to competitive action.
James Maddison injury update before Nottingham Forest
Tottenham confirmed that Maddison had begun working with the squad again, but stressed that he would not be involved against Forest. The club’s official team news also revealed that Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain sidelined.
“Maddison started training yesterday with us, and the other players are in good condition,” De Zerbi said at his pre-match press conference.
The Italian had previously described the shoulder problem as painful but not serious, while emphasising the need for a carefully managed return following Maddison’s lengthy absence last season.
Tottenham will therefore travel to Nottingham without one of their principal creative outlets as they look to respond to successive league defeats against Brentford and Newcastle.
There was better news in attack, however, with summer signing Savinho available for selection after missing last weekend’s game with muscle fatigue.
“Sávio is back, and we are all available to play,” De Zerbi said.
The Brazilian winger made an immediate impression after joining Tottenham from Manchester City, scoring and assisting in the Carabao Cup win over Charlton. His return gives De Zerbi another attacking option for the 3pm kick-off at the City Ground, although Maddison’s absence remains the most significant team-news development for Spurs.
