Maddison fractures shoulder in Tottenham's opening-day collapse against Brentford

James Maddison is facing another spell on the sidelines after fracturing his shoulder during Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat by Brentford at the GTech Community Stadium on Saturday, the opening weekend of the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Maddison entered the game as a second-half substitute for Mikey Moore but fell awkwardly, and an MRI scan has since confirmed the fracture. The blow is a particularly cruel one for the 29-year-old midfielder, who missed most of last season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a pre-season match against Newcastle in August 2025. That injury kept him sidelined for 254 days and limited him to just three Premier League appearances — totalling 34 minutes — across the entire campaign.

Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi attempted to play down the severity of the latest setback. Speaking ahead of the club’s Carabao Cup second-round tie against Charlton on Wednesday, De Zerbi said: “Maddison suffered a small injury in his shoulder.” The Italian added that Maddison had taken part in a limited capacity during Monday’s training session.

The injury deepens an already significant fitness crisis at Spurs. De Zerbi is also without Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert, both sidelined with ACL injuries, while Mohammed Kudus remains unavailable after the manager confirmed the winger is “not ready yet”. Pape Sarr is nursing a hamstring problem, and Dejan Kulusevski has not featured since May 2025 following his own serious knee injury.

Against Charlton, Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro are expected to be named on the bench having played limited roles in pre-season after their involvement in the World Cup. The match could also see Savio make his Tottenham debut following the completion of his transfer from Manchester City in a deal that could reach £85 million.

Further reinforcements are on the way. Omar Marmoush is set to join on loan from City with an obligation to buy for £60 million, while the summer window has already brought in Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, defenders Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on free transfers. Despite the ambitious rebuild, Maddison’s latest setback is a reminder of the fitness challenges De Zerbi must navigate as the season gets under way.