James Maddison is yet to play a single minute for Tottenham this season, but the attacking midfielder has been edging his way back into the picture under De Zerbi, appearing in the matchday squad for recent fixtures against Brighton, Wolves and Aston Villa.
Anticipation is building around a potential first appearance of the campaign, with Monday’s home game against Leeds increasingly looking like the occasion it could finally happen. Maddison himself appeared to stoke the speculation with an Instagram post featuring a training photo and three hourglass emojis — a gesture widely read by supporters as a signal that his return is imminent.
The 29-year-old’s absence has not gone unnoticed, with several pundits arguing that Spurs have been crying out for his creative influence, particularly since Xavi Simons picked up an injury. Former midfielder Danny Murphy has gone as far as calling on De Zerbi to start Maddison against Leeds, even if he is not yet at full fitness.
However, De Zerbi may opt for caution. Conor Gallagher was excellent in an advanced midfield role during the win at Villa Park, and the Spurs manager is unlikely to be in a rush to disrupt a setup that has delivered back-to-back victories with the club still not mathematically safe, and West Ham continuing to apply pressure with three games of the season remaining.
