Tottenham Rocked by James Maddison ACL Blow Ahead of Thomas Frank Era

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to kick off their new era under new manager Thomas Frank ahead of the beginning of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

The Lilywhites have had an eventful pre-season campaign so far, in which they also defeated their archrivals Arsenal, but they had to swallow a really bitter pill in the recent draw against Newcastle United.

That is because James Maddison sustained a major injury in the clash, and it looks like that will have potential repercussions on Thomas Frank’s plans for the start of his new reign in North London.

How Long Will Tottenham Hotspur Midfielder James Maddison Be Out For After Injury Setback?

James Maddison only came on as a 75th-minute substitute in Tottenham’s recent 1-1 draw against Newcastle United, which was an emotional affair as it marked Son Heung-Min’s final game with the club before he joined LAFC.

However, 11 minutes after coming on, Maddison ended up seriously damaging his knee in a duel and needed emergency medical aid. He looked to be in serious pain and had to be substituted before receiving some treatment on the sidelines.

Well, it seems that Tottenham have now received the worst possible outcome to this injury setback.

It’s being reported that Maddison will need to undergo surgery after having sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which normally keeps footballers out of action for a prolonged period.

It’s already being estimated that the 28-year-old midfielder will be out of action for up to six to seven months, meaning he will miss the entirety of Spurs’ matches in 2025 and a large chunk of the 2025/26 season as well.

At a time when Thomas Frank was trying to find the best possible position for Maddison in his Tottenham team and aiming to use him to add that extra spark in the midfield, the Englishman ended up picking up a nasty injury that now causes a bit of a headache for the new boss.

Who Can Step Up In Place Of James Maddison At Tottenham?

Of course, Tottenham will be missing the special spark that is brought to the fray by James Maddison, but Frank needs to come up with alternatives in the absence of the Englishman.

In pre-season matches, the Danish coach has shown a tendency to play Pape Matar Sarr in an advanced midfield role, and the young midfielder even scored in the win over Arsenal.

Sarr is actually quite a versatile midfielder who scored three goals and provided two assists in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign. He also averaged 3.97 progressive passes and 2.14 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes last season, with the 22-year-old having the ability to provide clever final third passes and also having an impressive eye for goal.

There are other internal options at Frank’s disposal as he scurries to find a replacement for Maddison.

Wilson Odobert can also play in that attacking midfield position if required. The young Frenchman actually averaged 3.09 progressive passes and 4.91 progressive carries per 90 minutes last season, proving himself as a livewire in the attacking areas and capable of playing clever final passes.

Moreover, Brennan Johnson can also play behind the striker in that No.10 role, with the Welshman shining for Spurs with 18 goals and seven assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 season.

However, the James Maddison injury setback is likely to force Tottenham Hotspur to push for a new creative midfielder signing, as they don’t have someone with the same pedigree as the Englishman.

Spurs recently failed in their attempts to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, despite triggering his release clause.

They are going to have to look for alternatives, and even though the likes of Sarr or Johnson can be a stop-gap alternative for Maddison, they need a really efficient and innovative new No. 10 to glow up their attacking prospects under Thomas Frank.