Maddison available for Tottenham after Chelsea scare

James Maddison is available for Tottenham's match against Crystal Palace on Saturday, according to manager Roberto De Zerbi, despite a worrying moment at Chelsea.

Maddison limped off in the 51st minute of Tottenham's 2-0 win at Chelsea. De Zerbi said the England midfielder did not train with the rest of the squad this week, but the manager has kept him in his plans. BBC Sport reported the update on Friday.

It has been a stop-start season for the 29-year-old. He missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, a serious tear of a key ligament in the knee. He then fractured his shoulder in Tottenham's opening-weekend defeat at Brentford.

Maddison has found his way back into the side this month. He returned to the starting line-up and scored in a 3-1 win over Coventry. Tottenham have since beaten Chelsea too, and the win over Coventry was the first start he had made in nearly 18 months. Sky Sports described that goal as stunning, and Maddison said afterwards he has "so much more to give" the club.

The wider picture matters too. Tottenham are 14th in the Premier League after climbing out of the relegation zone, the bottom three places that send clubs down to the second tier. Every point is important at this stage of the table, so a fit Maddison would be a welcome boost.

Maddison joined from Leicester City in 2023 in a deal worth £40m, on a five-year contract. Since then he has scored 17 goals and provided 21 assists, the final pass that leads to a goal, in 85 appearances for Spurs. He is a player who can change a game with one moment of quality, which is why his fitness has been watched so closely.

Whether he starts against Palace will depend on how he trains before kick-off. For now the news is simple. Tottenham's creative midfielder is expected to be available, and the fear that his Chelsea knock could keep him out has eased.