It has been an excellent month so far for the grand Premier League comeback story. Kevin De Bruyne inspired Manchester City’s victory at Newcastle after five months out with a hamstring injury and Ivan Toney scored for Brentford as they secured a vital win over Nottingham Forest after his eight-month ban for breaching betting regulations.
The omens are therefore good for James Maddison as he prepares for his Tottenham return in the FA Cup tie at home to City on Friday night. The midfielder has been out since injuring an ankle against Chelsea in early November and it is more “big man is back” stuff – to borrow the line Wayne Rooney used when he pitched up at England’s 2006 World Cup training base after a will-he won’t-he fight for fitness.
The excitement within the Spurs support is palpable as Maddison was electric in the opening three months of the season, hitting the ground at speed after his £40m transfer from Leicester. The headline numbers were only a part of it; three goals, six assists. Maddison brought personality and leadership, the feeling of possibility as the Ange Postecoglou era began. So it follows that he can pick up seamlessly where he left off. De Bruyne and Toney did it.
“It’s hard to say,” Postecoglou says when asked how he feels it may go for Maddison. “I don’t want to put those expectations [on him].”
At which point Postecoglou deviates sharply from the manager’s typical script. It was as if he realises who he is talking about – Maddison the Showman, ever the main man, even at a family roast dinner. Maddison responds to different stimuli and there is nothing he likes more than a glamour tie. Postecoglou dials into it.
“I know what Madders expects,” he says. “And in training, you wouldn’t know that he’s missed so much. The quality is there straight away and everyone notices it. He’s looking good physically. He’s the kind of guy who will want to make up for lost time and come back in and make an impact straight away.”
It has been a nightmare period for Maddison, stopped in his tracks after driving Spurs to the top of the table and their best start to a season since 1960-61. Postecoglou suggests the 27-year-old was probably a nightmare for the club’s sports science staff; something he offers with love. The bond between the pair is clear and Postecoglou is often ready with a one-liner at Maddison’s expense.
At the beginning of December, Maddison described his injury as a slow-burner, sparking concern that he might not meet the January comeback target. “I’m not sure about James’s medical qualifications and whether we should go with his diagnosis on these things,” Postecoglou said at the time.
The manager’s insight into Maddison’s state of mind over these past three months is more serious. “It was tough for him,” Postecoglou says. “Because he does love his football, he loves the environment of football clubs, he loves the dressing room. He’s kind of a force within that. It’s hard for all players when they’ve got to go through rehab and especially a character like him. I suggest that our sports science staff wouldn’t enjoy the one-on-one with Madders. He’s more of a guy who wants to be in the group.”
Midway through the period, Maddison was packed off to Dubai with his family – and a physiotherapist – by Postecoglou for a much-needed change of scene. The hard work remained a constant.
“It wasn’t a holiday,” Postecoglou says. “Do you have holidays with your physio? It was to do exactly what he would do here but in another environment. We did that with [Cristian] Romero and Gio [Lo Celso] is doing the same thing now. It’s not easy for players to come in on a daily basis, watch the guys train and not be part of it. When James got back, he was refreshed. And once he could see the finish line, you could see his spirits lift.”
Postecoglou reports that Maddison has trained all week with the squad and so the question on everyone’s lips is whether he will start against City. It sounds as though he will and not because of the narrative – however hard most people in the room were feeling it. City’s appalling record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a further detail. It is five defeats out of five for them and no goals scored.
“James is available so ready to start, not ready to start … when someone is available I assume they are ready to start,” Postecoglou says. “Whether they do or not depends on what I see with everyone else tomorrow and I usually make those decisions on game day. The beauty of it is he’s got through the week really well and is ready to go.”
