Roberto De Zerbi has shed light on why one of Tottenham Hotspur’s key players missed training today in Sydney.
Given the constant injury crises that Tottenham have had over the past couple of years, many Spurs fans are understandably fearing the worst at the smallest sign of trouble.
There were rumours on social media that Matues Fernandes had suffered a serious injury after his absence from training earlier this week, but Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that the midfielder is only suffering from fatigue.
Another senior man has also been completely missing from Spurs’ pre-season programme so far despite travelling with the squad Down Under, and the Tottenham boss has now clarified the reason.
Roberto De Zerbi sheds light on James Maddison’s absence from Tottenham training
Tottenham had an open training session in Sydney today, and Maddison was one of four players who were not part of the session.
The attacking midfielder, who recovered from an ACL injury at the end of last season, has not played a single minute in any of the club’s pre-season friendlies so far.
De Zerbi has now confirmed that the England international has a ‘small problem’ and that he does not intend to risk him, given he has hardly played any football over the last 12 months.
When asked about the 29-year-old, the Tottenham boss told Football.London: “Maddison has a small problem, and I said I don’t want to take any risks with anyone on this tour. He had a serious injury last season.”
Can De Zerbi afford to make Maddison his new Spurs captain?
According to reports, Maddison is set to be appointed as the new Tottenham captain once Cristian Romero’s departure from the club is confirmed.
However, many Spurs fans have questioned if the midfielder’s injury record rules him out as a captaincy candidate, despite the 29-year-old’s leadership skills.
The attacking midfielder certainly needs to prove that his body is robust enough to handle De Zerbi’s intense style of football for a whole season.