Maddison, Son & Lo Celso: Spurs injury updates and return dates ahead of Man City match

Tottenham Hotspur’s injury issues aren’t entirely done with, but Ange Postecoglou is getting one step closer to a fully fit squad with each passing week – and with Cristian Romero back in the fold following a hamstring injury and James Maddison nearing a return, things are looking pretty promising for the second half of the season. But who will be available for their titanic FA Cup tie against reigning champions Manchester City this Friday?

We’ve got updates on the availability of all of Spurs’ recent absentees below, from players recovering from injury to those away on international duty at the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, along with their expected return dates where available. Unfortunately, while things are getting better, they will still have to make do without quite a few key players ahead of the fourth round clash.

Ben Davies (hamstring)

Davies is expected to be unavailable for at least another week after picking up a hamstring strain following the New Year’s Eve match against Bournemouth. Having deputised very effectively for Romero and Micky van de Ven during their lay-offs, he will miss the City match and most likely the midweek game against Brentford too. The Premier League game against Everton next weekend is a plausible point of return.

Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring)

Sessegnon has yet to play a game this season and Spurs have kept most of the details of his recovery close to their chest – but on Christmas Day they reported that the former Fulham man was expected to be back in first-team training in January, and he is moving closer to match availability. He could in theory be on the bench for Friday, but with Under-21s matches against Aston Villa and Bristol City coming up in the next week, it is more likely that he makes his return with the reserves.

Manor Solomon (knee)

The Israeli international has been another long-term absentee thanks to a knee issue he suffered in the 2-1 victory over Liverpool at the end of September – but he was expected to return to first-team training this week, and has been targeting the match against City as a possible return fixture. If that proves beyond him, then we will likely see him back in action against either Brentford or Everton.

Dejan Kulusevski (illness)

The Swedish winger missed the 2-2 draw with United thanks to illness, with Postecoglou saying his condition “went downhill” ahead of the game. There have been no further official updates, but he is expected to be available to play on Friday.

James Maddison (ankle)

The England midfielder was hugely influential for Spurs before he picked up a serious ankle injury in November, and that has been a problem for the club with the statistics showing a marked decline in performances coinciding with his absence. Maddison has now confirmed his return to training via Instagram, so there is at least some chance that he features against City – but he will almost certainly be back in Premier League action next week either way.

Giovani Lo Celso (muscle)

Lo Celso was taken off the field after an hour or so of Spurs’ FA Cup tie with Burnley after experiencing ‘tightness’ in an unspecified muscle, with Postecoglou telling the media after the game that he was “hoping it is nothing serious.” There have been no further updates, and no return date has been set, but he did miss the match against United.

Alejo Véliz (knee)

The 20-year-old Argentine striker scored his first Premier League goal against Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of 2023 but promptly hurt himself just ten minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in the following game against Bournemouth. Véliz is expected to miss around two months, with early March an approximate return date.

Pape Matar Sarr (international duty)

Spurs will have to wait a while yet for Sarr’s return, as his Senegal side cruised through the group stages of AFCON 2023, winning all three matches with the young midfielder picking up an assist in the 3-1 win over Cameroon. Their round of 16 match will take place on 29 January, meaning that Sarr will miss the games against City and Brentford, but he could be available to face Everton is the reigning African champions suffer a surprise defeat.

Yves Bissouma (international duty)

The Malian midfielder is now with his national squad, too – at the time of writing, his team are top of their group but will need at least a draw against Namibia to ensure that they progress through to the round of 16. Should they fail, he would be back in time to face Brentford.

Son Heung-Min (international duty)

South Korea face Malaysia on Friday in the last game of their group stage campaign, and need a draw to go through having defeated Bahrain and drawn, slightly surprisingly, with Jordan. Son scored the opening goal in the game with a penalty. Barring a major shock, Son will be unavailable for the Brentford game thanks to his international commitments, but could play Everton if South Korea were knocked out in the first knockout round.