Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season and will undergo surgery, the club has confirmed.
Maddison, a 75th-minute substitute, only played for nine minutes in Spurs’ pre-season game against Newcastle in Seoul before he was seen in visible discomfort.
The 28-year-old was surrounded by teammates and looked upset, with medical staff taking him off the pitch on a stretcher. New manager Thomas Frank said after the game that the injury was “brutal” and its severity has now been confirmed.
James Maddison is stretchered off following an injury during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
On Thursday, Spurs released a statement saying: “We can confirm that James Maddison will undergo surgery for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
“His surgery will take place in the coming days and, following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team.
“Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wishes James a full and speedy recovery. We will be supporting him every step of the way.”
Maddison joined Tottenham from Leicester in 2023 and scored 12 goals last season. He also missed the end of last season with a knee injury, including the Europa League final victory over Manchester United, and Frank confirmed after the Newcastle friendly that he has injured the same knee.
The long and gruelling rehabilitation process for an ACL injury means that the England international is likely to miss the majority of the season.
His absence leaves Frank with a severely depleted front line. Former captain Son Heung-Min has joined MLS team Los Angeles FC for a league-record fee, while attacking midfielder Dejan Kulusevski is out for the foreseeable future as he continues his recovery from knee surgery in May.
Tottenham are reportedly on the lookout for a new midfielder and a forward as they hope to compete on all fronts next season.
