SOCCER
De Zerbi Said James Maddison Was Available for Crystal Palace
Tottenham’s manager said Friday that Maddison was available after leaving the Chelsea match injured, while emphasizing the need to manage his workload.
Roberto De Zerbi said Friday that James Maddison was available for Tottenham’s Premier League match against Crystal Palace, easing concerns after the midfielder was forced off during the previous weekend’s victory at Chelsea.
“This week, Maddison didn’t work like the other players, but, for tomorrow, he is available,” the manager said in Tottenham’s published news-conference account.
Maddison had played a prominent role before leaving early in the second half at Stamford Bridge. Spurs won that match 2–0, following their victory over Coventry City.
De Zerbi said Maddison had worked consistently for four or five weeks following his earlier injury absence. Missing two days of normal preparation did not automatically rule him out, but the manager emphasized weighing the risk of another injury when deciding how to use players.
Tottenham separately confirmed Destiny Udogie was available again after missing the Coventry and Chelsea fixtures. The full-back had last appeared against Manchester United on October 10, giving De Zerbi another returning option.
Lucas Bergvall, Tosin Adarabioyo and Savio remained sidelined in Friday’s update. Rodrigo Bentancur was due to serve the final game of his three-match suspension, while Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mykhailo Mudryk remained longer-term absentees.
The manager’s broader message concerned sustaining the improvement shown in consecutive victories. He said Tottenham needed greater focus, spirit and appetite to keep winning, rather than treating two encouraging results as sufficient progress. He also named Maddison among the squad’s established leaders.
Four of Spurs’ previous five goals had come from outside the penalty area. De Zerbi acknowledged the shooting quality within his squad while saying the team was improving its ability to score in other situations.
He also identified Dejan Kulusevski, Omar Marmoush, Conor Gallagher and Mateus Fernandes as players capable of operating centrally behind the attack, offering alternatives when he considers Maddison’s workload.
