James Maddison teases Tottenham return vs Aston Villa as star shares training ground photos
James Maddison has dropped a huge hint that he could potentially return to action for Tottenham Hotspur in their trip to face Aston Villa on Sunday night.
The attacking midfielder is still waiting for his first competitive appearance of the campaign, but has returned to the bench in recent weeks amid the final stages of his recovery from an ACL injury.
The Lilywhites have endured a turbulent campaign in his absence, but breathed new life into their fight for survival with their first win of 2026 last weekend.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side triumphed 1-0 away at Wolves on that occasion, and are now in pursuit of a second consecutive victory, which could lift them out of the relegation zone if West Ham fail to win at Brentford.
Tottenham’s survival fight looks set to go right down to the wire, but they could now be set for a major boost this weekend, with Maddison teasing a potential involvement.
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VISIT THE TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MATCH HUBJames Maddison could provide Tottenham with timely boost
Tottenham’s win last weekend was tarnished by a serious injury to Xavi Simons, who is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines after rupturing his cruciate ligament.
The Dutchman had just started to come into his own for De Zerbi’s side in recent weeks, and his quality would have been crucial in the final weeks of the season.
| Stats | Simons 2025-26 | Maddison 2024-25 |
| Apps (Starts) | 28 (19) | 31 (21) |
| G/A | 7 | 16 |
| Chances Created per 90 | 1.74 | 2.03 |
| Successful Dribbles per 90 | 1.43 | 1.64 |
| Shots on Target per 90 | 0.51 | 0.84 |
| Duels Won per 90 | 6.04 | 6.59 |
However, it is possible that Simons’ absence could now be covered somewhat by the potential return of Maddison, after he shared a series of photos of himself in training on his Instagram story on Thursday.
The 29-year-old appeared to be in full training with his teammates ahead of the trip to Villa Park, which perhaps suggests that he is slowly stepping closer to a return to action.
De Zerbi will undoubtedly have to manage his minutes effectively whenever he does return, but it now seems possible that he could be fit enough to make an impact from the bench this weekend.
Aston Villa Europa League exploits hand Spurs huge advantage
Tottenham will be delighted with Nottingham Forest, after they piled the pressure on Villa by beating them 1-0 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.
The two clashes in that tie are sandwiched either side of the Lilywhites’ trip to the second city this weekend, and Unai Emery will know that his side are in need of a dramatic turnaround in the second leg.
With that in mind, it is highly likely that the Spanish boss makes wholesale changes for the Premier League game on Sunday, meaning Spurs may line up against a weakened opposition.
That will be music to the ears of the struggling North Londoners, who may finally feel that the luck is beginning to turn in their favour a little.
Neevertheless, Spurs will know that they still need to beat whatever XI is put in front of them on Sunday, as it will take wins rather than draws to haul them out of trouble.
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