London, Aug 7 (IANS) England midfielder James Maddison will undergo surgery after suffering a ruptured ACL, Tottenham Hotspur announced on Thursday. The injury occurred during the Spurs’ pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in Seoul. The club has not specified a timeline for his recovery.
“We can confirm that James Maddison will undergo surgery for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee,” the club said.
“His surgery will take place in the coming days, and, following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team. Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wishes James a full and speedy recovery. We will be supporting him every step of the way,” it added.
Maddison, who netted 12 goals and registered 11 assists across all competitions last season to help Tottenham win the Europa League and end their 17-year trophy drought, was stretchered off during Spurs’ pre-season clash in South Korea on Saturday after sustaining an injury.
Head coach Thomas Frank confirmed post-match that the damage was to the same knee that had sidelined Maddison at the end of last season. He labelled it a “bad” injury and called the incident a “brutal moment” for the team.
The blow comes at a particularly tough time for Tottenham, with Frank now without a recognised creative midfielder. Dejan Kulusevski is also expected to miss the start of the season due to his own knee issue, further depleting Spurs’ attacking options.
Tottenham had targeted England international Morgan Gibbs-White to reinforce their midfield but were unsuccessful in their pursuit, as the player opted to extend his stay at Nottingham Forest with a new three-year contract.
Tottenham will open their season with a UEFA Super Cup showdown against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in Udine, Italy, on August 14, before launching their Premier League campaign at home against newly promoted Burnley on August 16.
–IANS
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