Maddison Returns for Tottenham vs Everton, Kulusevski Out Again

James Maddison is back in the frame for Tottenham’s meeting with Everton, with Roberto De Zerbi confirming the midfielder is ready to be involved after a brief spell on the sidelines.

Maddison has missed Spurs’ last three games in all competitions with a shoulder problem, but the issue has eased and he has now been passed fit to return to action.

While Maddison steps forward, Dejan Kulusevski takes a step back.

The Swede, who only recently rejoined training after more than a year out with a knee injury, has been ruled out again. He has not trained at all over the past week after what De Zerbi described as a minor setback.

“No, Kulusevski is not working with us the last week,” the Spurs boss said. “It’s not a big problem. It’s a normal problem.”

Mykhailo Mudryk is also unavailable. De Zerbi did not hide his frustration at the nature of the issue, branding it a “stupid injury”, with Spurs opting for caution as the winger continues to rebuild his fitness after a long stretch without regular football.

“It was a stupid injury for Mudryk, but we hope he will be back soon,” De Zerbi added. “It’s a normal process when a player has not played in a long time.”

Maddison’s return gives Tottenham a timely creative spark. The question now is how quickly the rest of De Zerbi’s attacking options can catch up.