James Maddison Available for Tottenham Against Crystal Palace

James Maddison is available for Tottenham’s meeting with Crystal Palace, easing the concern raised when he limped off against Chelsea. But availability is not the same as a guaranteed place: Roberto De Zerbi says Spurs will assess whether playing him carries too much risk.

Maddison went off in the 51st minute of Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge. The latest scare came as the playmaker continues his return from anterior cruciate ligament damage, with his fitness managed since he came back in May.

“He is available,” De Zerbi said ahead of Saturday’s match. “This week he didn’t work like the other players, but for tomorrow he is available and he is a special player for us.”

The Tottenham head coach said Maddison had been working hard and consistently for four or five weeks, adding that missing two days of training was not necessarily a problem. The decision, he said, would come down to whether the club should take a risk.

That caution reflects a wider concern for Spurs: getting players back without inviting another setback. De Zerbi pointed to Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski as examples of players whose situations required careful judgement, and said Tottenham were fortunate to have a large squad.

Destiny Udogie is also available for the Palace match. The full-back missed the wins over Coventry and Chelsea with a knee problem, after dealing with an earlier issue this season. De Zerbi said Udogie had struggled to train consistently, making the timing of his return another decision to manage.

Tottenham arrive after a significant result at Stamford Bridge. Their win was their first there in eight years and only their second away victory against Chelsea in the Premier League era. But De Zerbi made clear that one strong result is not enough for the club’s ambitions.

“We have not achieved our goal,” he said. “Now we have to push. We have to stay focused” and build the spirit and appetite to win games in a row.

For Spurs, Maddison’s availability is a boost, but the bigger test is balancing that immediate lift with the longer view. Crystal Palace provide the next chance to turn the Chelsea result into momentum; Tottenham must decide whether Maddison can help from the start, or whether patience is the smarter play.