James Maddison sat through the whole of Tottenham’s 2-0 win over 10-man Crystal Palace, and Gus Poyet has now said out loud what plenty of Spurs fans have been thinking: the problem isn’t just the injuries, it’s that he can’t get through a full match.
The former Tottenham midfielder calls it a concern, and the numbers back him up. Maddison has played a full 90 minutes only three times since the start of the 2024-25 season, and the most recent of those came in January 2025.
That is more than 21 months ago. The 29-year-old still has the talent to change a game, as he showed against Coventry City last month, but Roberto De Zerbi is now managing a player he plainly rates and can’t yet rely on for a whole afternoon.
What did Gus Poyet say about James Maddison?
Poyet didn’t dress it up. He said: “He has had a good career so far, but yes these injuries are a concern, because he can’t last the 90 minutes.”
He was just as clear about what has to come next, and about why it’s worth the effort. Poyet added: “So he has to recover now and look to get back playing again to ensure he can last 90 minutes at the top level. He is a good creative player, so useful and we saw what he can do as he showed against Coventry.”
The latest scare came at Stamford Bridge, where Maddison sat down on the turf and fears of another knee problem quickly followed. It turned out to be a groin issue and nowhere near as bad as first feared, but it was another all-too-familiar interruption, and De Zerbi was left hoping it wasn’t a big problem after the game.
How many full matches has Maddison actually played?
Three in just over two years. Here’s how the minutes break down, season by season:
| Season | James Maddison’s minutes |
|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Lasted the full 90 minutes three times: Rangers in the Europa League in December 2024, then Tamworth in the FA Cup on January 12, 2025 and Everton in the Premier League a week later |
| 2025-26 | 34 minutes across three Premier League substitute appearances, with most of the campaign spent recovering from a serious ACL injury |
| 2026-27, before Palace | 210 minutes across seven games in the Premier League and EFL Cup, an average of 30 minutes per match, and no full 90 |
This season’s log is the one that jumps out. Maddison lasted 69 minutes of the 3-1 win over Coventry, opening the scoring with a stunning curler from outside the box, and 51 minutes at Chelsea, where he completed 86% of his passes and drew two fouls before coming off.
Those are his only two Premier League starts. Before them he made five straight substitute appearances, against Brentford, Everton, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United, with a shoulder injury in between. Take out the Coventry and Chelsea minutes and those five games add up to 90 minutes between them: one full match, spread over five.
Why didn’t De Zerbi use him against Crystal Palace?
On Friday, De Zerbi told reporters “James is available” and said losing two days of training wasn’t a problem, while adding that Spurs would have to analyse whether to take a risk. Saturday gave us the answer. Dominic Solanke came back into the XI and Maddison dropped to the bench.
Asked about it by Sky Sports News before kick-off against Palace, De Zerbi said: “Not just for the physical condition. To be clear James is very important for us when he feels good, when he plays.”
What makes it more striking is what happened after that. Palace were down to 10 men after 13 minutes and sat deep for the rest of the evening, the sort of night you’d expect a creative No.10 to enjoy. De Zerbi used all five of his changes: Pedro Porro, Conor Gallagher, Destiny Udogie, Dejan Kulusevski and teenager Luca Williams-Barnett all came on. Maddison was one of four substitutes who stayed on the bench.
Verdict: the James Maddison injury worry is really about trust
We think Poyet is right, though the concern shouldn’t be read as a criticism of the player. Coming back from a serious ACL injury was never going to be a straight line, and a groin tweak that costs him one match is a long way from the worst outcome. De Zerbi resting him during a third straight league win looks sensible rather than alarming.
But “not just for the physical condition” is the line we’d keep an eye on. It suggests that this was also a selection call, and the team didn’t need him on Saturday. With Leeds United away next, the real test is whether Maddison can string a few weeks of training together and get past that 69-minute mark. Until he does, Spurs have a brilliant 60-minute player, and that’s a very different thing from the match-winner they need.
