James Maddison Makes Spurs Return After Injury Setback
James Maddison finally pulled a Spurs shirt back over his head on Sunday – and it happened in private, away from the noise, the cameras and the nerves that have followed his long road back.
The playmaker had not played a single minute this summer, his latest unspecified issue trailing on from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that wrecked his pre-season a year ago and cost him most of the campaign. With a week to go before Roberto De Zerbi’s first Premier League game in charge at Brentford, there were genuine fears he would again start a season watching from the treatment room.
Instead, his name appeared on the teamsheet.
Maddison back, but still rusty
Tottenham named a completely different XI for a behind-closed-doors rematch with Hoffenheim at Hotspur Way, less than 24 hours after a 3-0 win over the same Bundesliga side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Maddison started and lasted 45 minutes – his first start in almost a year.
It was not a smooth return. Early on, he lost the ball inside his own box and then fouled Leon Avdullahu, handing Adam Hlozek the chance to put Hoffenheim ahead from the penalty spot. Moments that showed both rust and the sharp edges still to be filed down before the serious business begins.
At the interval he made way for youngster Reiss Elliot-Parris, job done for the day: minutes in the legs, contact in the lungs, and a small but significant step back towards full involvement.
Fernandes hits stride, Davies on target
If Maddison’s comeback was the headline, Mateus Fernandes quietly delivered the performance that will most encourage De Zerbi.
Tottenham’s £85million signing from West Ham completed the full 90 minutes, a valuable workout after a calf problem picked up on the club’s tour of New Zealand and Australia. He looked ready. Again.
The Portugal international controlled long spells and provided the kind of quality Spurs paid for. His precise cross in the 20th minute picked out Ben Davies, who headed in from close range after a short corner routine to level the game.
From there, Tottenham began to turn the screw.
Just before half-time, highly rated winger Luca Williams-Barnett took his moment. Pape Matar Sarr surged forward on a driving run, slipped the ball into space, and Williams-Barnett drilled his finish past Luca Philipp with authority. Spurs, behind early, went in 2-1 up and suddenly the session felt less like a fitness exercise and more like a statement of depth.
Sarr’s own return, along with that of Rodrigo Bentancur, added to the sense that at least part of the midfield puzzle is falling into place.
Hoffenheim hit back as Spurs chase a winner
Hoffenheim refused to play the role of sparring partner. After the break, Valentin Gendrey caught Brandon Austin with a volley to haul the visitors level again.
The game opened up. Kevin Danso rattled the crossbar, a warning that Spurs’ defensive sharpness is not yet where it needs to be. At the other end, teenage winger Miracle Adewole almost stole it late on, going close as Tottenham pressed for a winner that never came.
No third win in as many days, but this was never about the scoreline.
Big names missing, big questions looming
For all the positives – Maddison back on the pitch, Fernandes completing 90 minutes, encouraging minutes for Bentancur, Sarr, Williams-Barnett and Souza – the absentees cast a long shadow over De Zerbi’s first league assignment.
Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie and Mohammed Kudus have not played a single minute in pre-season. That is not a footnote; it is a flashing warning sign with Brentford away on the horizon.
The same applies to Dejan Kulusevski. The Swede is only just back in training after the knee injury that has kept him out since May 2025. Dominic Solanke was missing again on Sunday, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario sat out and is expected to leave the club before the summer transfer deadline on September 1.
Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain long-term absentees. Pedro Porro, granted an extended break after Spain’s World Cup triumph, did not feature in pre-season either, though he has now reported back to the club.
So Spurs leave their final tune-up with a mixed picture: key creators stepping back into the light, a record signing already looking at home, but a core of first-team players yet to kick a ball. In a week’s time, when De Zerbi walks out at Brentford, which version of Tottenham will actually be ready to play?
