Roberto De Zerbi comments on when James Maddison could return for Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi has praised James Maddison’s leadership, while revealing his plans for integrating the midfielder back into Tottenham Hotspur’s squad.

Tottenham Hotspur have been without James Maddison for the best part of a year and his loss has been felt by each member of the team.

Indeed, Spurs are 18th in the Premier League table, trailing London rivals West Ham by two points after they thrashed Wolves last weekend.

Therefore, it came as excellent news that Maddison returned to Tottenham training this week, providing hope of a return before the end of the season.

James Maddison will not be rushed by Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham

Unfortunately, Maddison’s return will not be immediate, but this is actually a good thing considering how long he has been sidelined.

Instead of rushing the 29-year-old, Roberto De Zerbi is keen to ensure he is fully recovered before getting back to competitive action.

The Italian addressed this in his press conference, while reflecting on Maddison’s leadership, which he hopes will rub off on other players in the Tottenham first-team squad.

“There are a lot of different types of leaders. Real leaders who talks inside the dressing room, Maddison is a top player on the pitch with the ball but also as a personality, mentality on the pitch,” De Zerbi said.

“I would like to reach this level for Micky van de Ven, [Joao] Palhinha is a leader, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, I would like to push with [Dominic] Solanke, he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. I want him stronger as a character on the pitch.

I don’t want to push too much as we lost [Mohammed] Kudus in this way. I will use the players when they are totally available to play and start the training, it’s better to lose one game more than get another injury.”

Rodrigo Bentancur is back for Spurs

Although Maddison is not yet available, Bentancur has recovered from a hamstring injury which has seen him miss 11 Premier League matches since January.

The Uruguayan international was slammed for his lethargic performances earlier in the season, which all too often consisted of low-risk passes.

However, he might be able to help bring some control to a Tottenham midfield who need all the help they can get. Right now, De Zerbi needs as many players available as possible, otherwise the fate of Spurs will already be sealed.

READ MORE – Three Tottenham players considered ‘untouchable’ this summer, and one will surprise Spurs fans