De Zerbi rules James Maddison out of Tottenham's pre-season to avoid injury risk

The Spurs boss said the club will not take any chances with the midfielder, who spent almost all of last season on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Speaking after Tottenham's open training session in Sydney, De Zerbi explained that protecting Maddison's fitness is the priority.

"James has a small problem," De Zerbi said. "I don't want to take any risks, especially at this part of the season and especially for James because he suffered a long injury last season. He's an important player for us."

The same cautious approach will be taken with midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who has been dealing with calf fatigue.

"The same for Mateus Fernandes," De Zerbi added. "It is not the right moment to take risks. We will work again when we are back in London."

Tottenham have enjoyed a positive pre-season so far, beating MK Dons 1-0 and Auckland FC 2-0 before drawing 1-1 with Sydney FC and winning the match 4-2 on penalties.

Spurs still have four friendly matches before the new campaign begins. They face Chelsea in Sydney today before returning to London to take on Getafe behind closed doors. They will then complete their preparations with a double-header against Hoffenheim, with one match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and another behind closed doors at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham begin their 2026-27 Premier League season away to Brentford on 22 August, with De Zerbi keen to ensure key players such as Maddison are fully fit for the start of the competitive campaign.

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