James Maddison ready to be Tottenham saviour as Xavi Simons out for the season

James Maddison will be eyeing up the attacking midfield spot for Tottenham Hotspur after the news that Xavi Simons’ season is over.

The Dutchman went off injured shortly after the hour mark as the Lilywhites won 1-0 away at Wolves on Saturday afternoon, and the full extent of the injury has now been confirmed.

The 22-year-old has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and is expected to face around eight months on the sidelines, meaning he will play no further part in his team’s fight against relegation.

Simons’ misfortune is a major blow to Spurs’ chances of beating the drop, as he had just started to become a truly influential figure for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

However, with Simons joining Tottenham’s injury list, the time has surely come for Maddison to step up and make himself a hero once again.

Tottenham must use James Maddison for bursts of impact

Maddison’s season has been almost non-existent so far, after he suffered an ACL injury of his own during the pre-season friendly against Newcastle way back in August.

It has been a long road to recovery for the former Leicester City man, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel, and he has returned to the bench for the recent games against Brighton and Wolves.

The 29-year-old is still waiting for his first competitive minutes of the campaign, but they will surely arrive in the coming weeks now that Simons has been ruled out for the season.

Maddison has been a difference-maker for the North Londoners in recent years, and he will need to be their saviour in their final four games with his creativity.

He has a game-changing quality that is unprecedented across the rest of the Tottenham squad, and with that in mind, it is vital that De Zerbi gives him the chance to shine.

Maddison is clearly not yet ready to start games, so the boss will have to be clever with how he uses him, likely as an impact substitute in the latter stages.

Nevertheless, his return could provide a huge shot in the arm in terms of uplifting the squad, while also replacing the quality that his been lost with Simons.

Xavi Simons may have already played his last game for Spurs

Bayern Munich are eyeing a move for Simons this summer, as they look to take advantage of Spurs’ possible relegation to the Championship next term.

Vincent Kompany is a big admirer of the former RB Leipzig man, and he is considering trying to strike a cut-price deal to take him back to the Bundesliga if Tottenham do go down.

They are still two points adrift of safety despite their victory on Saturday, and they are running out of time to save themselves from that embarrassing end.

As a result, Simons’ lengthy lay-off could potentially mean that he has already played his final game for Spurs, as he could be shown towards the exit door before he gets close to a return to fitness.

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