Ange Postecoglou is aware that James Maddison is eager to make up for lost time but has acknowledged that the Tottenham playmaker found his time on the sidelines challenging.
Maddison is set to return for Friday’s FA Cup fixture against Manchester City after nearly three months out due to ankle ligament damage.
Maddison’s brilliant start to life at Spurs was halted by his injury, and Postecoglou revealed that the England midfielder struggled at times during the longest absence of his career.
Postecoglou stated in his pre-match press conference: “Not low but it was tough for him, because he does love his football, he loves the environment of football clubs, he loves the dressing room.”
“We did send him away in the middle of it. We felt it was good for him to get away with his family, we sent a physio with him (to Dubai).
“Once he could see the finish line of ‘OK, I’m getting to the tail end of it,’ you could see his spirits lift. It’s been good to get him back.”
The two-week break has allowed James Maddison to regain full fitness, while Ben Davies and Dane Scarlett have recovered from hamstring issues. Additionally, Dejan Kulusevski is available after recovering from illness that ruled him out of the previous match against Manchester United. However, Giovani Lo Celso remains sidelined with a muscle issue.
During the mid-season break, Postecoglou granted his squad four days off. While many players traveled to destinations like Dubai and Miami, the coach opted to stay home to spend time with his family, who were in Australia for Christmas. Additionally, he utilised this time to plan for the future of the team.