Journalist Paul Brown has predicted that Ange Postecoglou could tweak his system against Liverpool if James Maddison is not passed fit for the game.
Maddison was once again one of the best players on the pitch at the Emirates on Sunday, delivering another standout performance in his first North London derby.
The attacking midfielder set up both of Son Heung-min’s goals but Spurs fans had their hearts in their mouths when he went down holding his knee midway into the second half.
The midfielder did play for ten more minutes before eventually being replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Football. London’s Alasdair Gold stated on Monday that while the England international’s initial feeling about his knee is ‘positive’ he is expected to have a scan to ensure that everything is okay.
The Times have also reported that Spurs are confident Maddison will be ready to play against Jurgen Klopp’s side by Saturday.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur gdduring the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 24, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
How would Spurs replace Maddison in the XI?
Brown has now said that Postecoglou would not risk Maddison against Liverpool even if he has a slight issue and suggested that the Australian might have to change his system since he does not have a like-for-like replacement for the former Leicester star.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: “I think Maddison makes this team tick and they don’t have a like-for-like replacement who could come in if he has to come out of the team because he’s unfit or injured. So it would probably mean slightly tweaking the system. Unless Postecoglou has a backup plan there that we haven’t seen yet.
“I do think Maddison is vital really for Spurs, so they can’t really afford to be without him. And if he has a knock, I doubt Postecoglou would risk him getting a worse injury or making that problem worse.
“But it doesn’t look like it is anything to worry about. So I think they’ll assess it over the next couple of days and we’ll see how he. But yeah, I do think Maddison has become already kind of a key man at Spurs.”
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The problem Posteocoglou has is there are also doubts over the fitness of Giovani Lo Celso, who has missed the last few games with a hamstring problem.
So, if Maddison is not 100 per cent fit for Saturday’s clash, the 58-year-old might have to start with Brennan Johnson or Dejan Kulusevski in the number eight role.
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