James Maddison Returns for Tottenham Against Everton

James Maddison is set to make his return for Tottenham against Everton, with Roberto De Zerbi confirming the midfielder is ready to be involved after a brief spell on the sidelines.

Maddison has missed Spurs’ last three matches in all competitions with a shoulder problem, but has now been passed fit and is expected to feature in De Zerbi’s squad as Tottenham look to keep their early-season rhythm.

While Maddison’s comeback offers a timely boost, Dejan Kulusevski remains out. The winger has not trained over the past week and continues to be sidelined after a fresh bump in his recovery.

"No, Kulusevski is not working with us the last week," De Zerbi said. "It's not a big problem. It's a normal problem."

Kulusevski, who had been out for over a year with a knee injury before recently returning to training, has suffered what the club view as a minor setback, delaying his full reintroduction.

Mykhailo Mudryk is also unavailable. De Zerbi described the issue as a "stupid injury" and stressed that Tottenham are handling the situation carefully, mindful of the Ukrainian’s long stretch without consistent minutes.

"It was a stupid injury for Mudryk, but we hope he will be back soon," De Zerbi added. "It's a normal process when a player has not played in a long time."

So Maddison comes back into the fold, but De Zerbi heads into the Everton clash still juggling key absences on the flanks and managing the fine line between urgency and caution in his squad’s fitness.