Maddison declared available for Crystal Palace by De Zerbi after Chelsea scare

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison is available to face Crystal Palace on Saturday, manager Roberto De Zerbi said, despite the 29-year-old limping off in the 51st minute of Spurs' 2-0 victory at Chelsea last week.

Maddison has won seven caps for England and missed the majority of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. He then fractured his shoulder in Tottenham's opening weekend defeat at Brentford this season. The midfielder returned to the starting line-up earlier this month and scored a spectacular goal in a 3-1 win against Coventry.

When asked about Maddison's condition De Zerbi said, "This week he didn't work like the other players, but for tomorrow he is available and he is a special player for us," said De Zerbi. He added: "For James Maddison or the players who are coming from a long injury, they have to work more than the other players, but he has already four or five weeks - he is working very hard and consistently. So, I think it's not a problem if he loses two days [training], but then we have to analyse if we take the risk or not."

Tottenham have beaten Coventry and Chelsea since Maddison's return to the starting line-up. The club sit 14th in the Premier League after climbing out of the relegation zone. Those results have come in the weeks following his comeback to the side.

Maddison joined Tottenham from Leicester City in 2023 on a five-year contract in a deal worth £40m. He has scored 17 goals and provided 21 assists in 85 appearances for the north London club. Those figures cover his time at Tottenham up to the present report.

De Zerbi's confirmation means Maddison is in contention to feature in the visit of Palace on Saturday and the coaching staff will assess whether to include him in the matchday plans after reviewing his recent training days.