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Darren Ambrose bemoans Tottenham Hotspur star’s absence in the UEL final

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated May 15, 2025 9:37 AM ET

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou must make do without James Maddison for the Europa League final vs Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur are just seven days away from facing Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao, having eased past Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the previous round.

It has been an incredibly difficult campaign for the Lilywhites, with the team currently sitting 17th in the Premier League table, and Ange Postecoglou’s future at the club perhaps hangs on winning the Europa League trophy.

The Australian tactician has already been dealt a double blow by season-ending injuries to James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall. And the injury situation turned from bad to worse on Wednesday when influential playmaker Dejan Kulusevski was ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing a knee surgery.

The Sweden skipper picked up a problem early into the game against Crystal Palace last Sunday, which Ange Postecoglou thought it to be nothing more than a knock. However, it turned out to be a serious one, leading to Kulusevski going under the knife and ruling him out against Manchester United in the Europa League final.

James Maddison will be another big miss in Bilbao. The England international’s hamstring injury in the first leg of Spurs’ Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt was devastating one, and one which will see him miss the next three months of action.

Discussing about Maddison’s injury, former Premier League defender Darren Ambrose claimed Tottenham’s vice-captain will be missed in the European final but there will be an opportunity for other players to step up and be counted on the big occasion at San Mames.

“Players you mentioned are a huge miss in my opinion going into the Manchester United game. James Maddison arguably one of your biggest leaders in the team, he gets his criticism I don’t know why I think a lot of it’s unjustified. He is a moments player but those moments normally leads to goals or assists which I’m happy with that you,” Darren Ambrose said on talkSPORT’s Inside Spurs podcast.

“It doesn’t really matter if you’re a moments player as long as those moments lead to goals and assists and I think he’s going to be a big miss, but it’s for players to step up.”

Maddison played a big role in the North Londoners’ run to the Europa League final, registering three goals and four assists in 11 appearances. Impressively, he has delivered a goal contribution in each of his last four games in the European competition. The 28-year-old’s importance is widely acknowledged, with ex-Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas praising his qualities on and off the ball.

The challenge on Ange will now be to get his midfield balance right against the Red Devils. The fact that Maddison is sidelined at the same time as Bergvall and Kulusevski has further complicated things for the Tottenham gaffer ahead of our season’s biggest game.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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