James Maddison ruled out of England squad as Tottenham injury problems mount

10 November 2023 , 09:06

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James Maddison ruled out of England squad as Tottenham injury problems mount

James Maddison has been withdrawn from the England squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers with Malta and North Macedonia and could face an extended spell on the sidelines.

The 26-year-old had been named by Gareth Southgate after an impressive start to the season with Tottenham, racking up eight goal contributions in his 11 league appearances since moving from Leicester. But the Premier League's August Player of the Month went down unchallenged during the 4-1 defeat with Chelsea on Monday night, and was duly replaced before half time.

"We can confirm that James Maddison has been withdrawn from the England squad due to an ankle injury," read a club statement on Friday. "The midfielder will not feature in the Three Lions' UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, and will remain at Hotspur Way for rehabilitation with the Club's medical staff."

Maddison had played a critical role in his side's opening goal in the London derby, with his sublime cross-field pass igniting the attack that culminated in Dejan Kulusevski's deflected strike. However, late in the half he went down in the Chelsea area clutching his ankle.

Initially, the 26-year-old continued after treatment, before limping off. In the aftermath of the game though, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou played down the notion of a long-term injury, and implied the substitution was a precautionary measure.

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"We were down one man already," he told reporters, referring to Cristian Romero's red card. "It made sense to make a couple of changes at that point."

James Maddison has been ruled out of the England squad after getting injured on Monday (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)

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Maddison started the 1-0 friendly win over Australia in October, a game which signified his fifth international cap. He was then an unused substitute four days later as the Three Lions sealed their qualification for Germany next summer with a 3-1 win over Italy.

The announcement means Maddison won't be included in the Spurs squad to go to Wolves on Saturday and reports suggest his injury is worse than first feared with a lengthy absence likely. It leaves Postecoglou with something of an availability crisis on his hands following Monday's chaos.

Defender Micky van de Ven is also ruled out long-term with a hamstring injury, with both Romero and Destiny Udogie suspended following their red cards on Monday. Forward Richarlison has also undergone surgery this week for a longstanding groin issue.

Fraser Watson