Maddison suffers knee injury in Spurs draw with Newcastle

Spurs’ James Maddison Suffers Suspected Knee Injury in Newcastle Friendly

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison suffered a suspected knee injury during his side’s 1-1 pre-season draw with Newcastle United in Seoul on Sunday, raising fears of another long spell on the sidelines.

The 28-year-old England international, who previously missed the Europa League final with a knee issue, pulled up off the ball seven minutes from time and was stretchered off the field in visible pain.

Frank: “It looks bad”

Head coach Thomas Frank confirmed after the match that the injury appears serious and may involve the same knee Maddison injured last season.

“Sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal,” said Frank.

“That’s what we got today. It looks like with Madders a bad injury and then on the other side, unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and the respect from the Newcastle players.”

Maddison was seen clutching his knee immediately after going down, with Son Heung-min, playing his final appearance for Spurs in his home country, visibly emotional at the sight of his team-mate’s distress.

Match summary: Johnson and Barnes on target

Spurs got off to a bright start with Brennan Johnson scoring inside four minutes to delight the South Korean crowd. However, Harvey Barnes, another former Leicester player, levelled for Newcastle in the 38th minute.

The match was largely overshadowed by Maddison’s injury and Son’s emotional farewell, with both teams showing moments of respect and solidarity on the pitch.

Concern ahead of new season

Maddison’s latest injury comes as a blow to Tottenham, who are gearing up for the new Premier League season with high expectations after a strong finish last term and a Europa League title.

Maddison was a key figure in Spurs’ midfield when fit and had been working to regain full match fitness during the summer.

Further medical assessment will determine the full extent of the injury, but the early indications suggest he could be facing another spell out of action.