Tottenham Hotspur has confirmed that James Madison misses most of the 2025/26 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the preseason. The Spurs midfielder was hit by catastrophic news after tumbling to the ground in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Sunday.
Madison missed the end of last season. This resulted in the Spurs’ Europa League final against Manchester United, resulting in a knee injury. After appearing as a second-half alternative to Newcastle in Seoul, South Korea, the 28-year-old overstretched the same knee, quickly signaling the problem.
Madison appeared to be suffering badly before leaving the stretcher pitch. He was later found leaving the stadium on a crutch, and Thomas Frank admitted it looked like a “bad injury.”
The Spurs head coach said:
“It looks like he’s got a bad injury on the Madders, but on the other side it seems like an incredible scene from his teammates for his son and a tribute from a Newcastle player (who gave his son a guard of honor).
“I’m sure he (Madison) was on the same knee as he was injured previously.”
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Madison will undergo surgery that continues to avoid most of the new campaign.
“We can confirm that James Madison will undergo surgery to rupture the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee,” a statement from the Spurs said.
“The 28-year-old midfielder was injured in a preseason friendly with Newcastle United in Seoul on Sunday.
“His surgery will be performed in the next few days and following that, James will begin rehabilitation with our medical team.
“Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wants James to recover in perfect and quickly. We will support him at every stage.”
This is a heartbreaking development ahead of a major season of transition with the Spurs under Frank.
Players are also looking forward to next summer, when the 2026 World Cup takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Madison’s long-term injury layoffs have now been rare, including him on Thomas Touchel’s England team.
The former Leicester City playmaker has been undergoing a series of tests since returning from Asia on Monday.
Tottenham figures share the initial fear that Madison had been injured in his cruciate ligament, and those worries have come to fruition ever since.
