"He’s still suffering" - Manager claims Arsenal and Tottenham target is yet to recover from knee injury
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur target James Maddison is still not fit to get back on the pitch, according to Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers. He has revealed that the attacking midfielder is yet to recover from the knee injury he picked up last month.
Maddison has been out of action since hurting his knee during the 2-0 victory over West Ham United in the Premier League at the London Stadium on November 12.
The attacking midfielder, whose brilliant performances have caught the eye of Arsenal and Tottenham, opened the scoring for his side with a fantastic effort during the encounter. However, he was unable to complete the game due to a knock and was replaced by Dennis Praet in the 25th minute.
🗣 "Maddison is only interested in a move to Arsenal or Tottenham."
Should Arsenal go back in for James Maddison? 🤔
#AFC #Arsenal https://t.co/5dIA2jrubv
Despite the setback, Maddison kept his place in England's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar but couldn't participate in the competition. Many expected to see him back in action when Leicester City host Newcastle United in their post-World Cup Premier League fixture on Monday, December 26, but were left disappointed as he missed out again.
When asked about the Tottenham and Arsenal target's absense against the Magpies, Rodgers explained that the 26-year-old hasn't completed his recovery.
"He’s still suffering with his knee," the tactician told Amazon Prime Video as quoted by Metro. "We’re just trying to get to the bottom of it with the medical team.
"He was out this morning and he just doesn’t feel quite right, so we’ll just have to assess that and see how we go," he added.
After all that, James Maddison didn't play a single minute at the 2022 World Cup 👀 https://t.co/FYZPUu7x1m
Meanwhile, Maddison was seen at the PDC World Championship darts at Alexandra Palace in London on Friday night. When asked about his return, the 26-year-old said:
"The gaffer [Rodgers] gave us a little bit of down time. Because a major tournament can take a lot out of you, mentally and physically, so I had a little bit of down time, a few days away, and nearly back at it."
Arsenal and Tottenham return to Premier League action
Following the conclusion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have returned to work to complete the 2022-23 campaign.
The Spurs played their first post-World Cup game on Monday, December 26 and were held to a 2-2 draw by Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Following that result, Antonio Conte's men now rank fourth in the table with 30 points from 16 games, having recorded nine victories, three draws and four defeats to their name.
The Gunners, meanwhile, will be in action against West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, December 27. Mikel Arteta's side continue to top the table with 37 points in 14 matches - four points ahead of second-placed Newcastle with two games in hand.