Tottenham Hotspur’s 2025/26 season will be remembered for chaos, managerial turmoil and a desperate relegation battle — but above all else, it will be remembered for injuries.
At one stage during the spring run-in, Spurs had more than ten senior players unavailable, including James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons. Several suffered serious knee injuries, while others experienced repeated setbacks during rehabilitation.
Injuries happen in football. But when a club suffers this many long-term problems in one season, difficult questions have to be asked. Was Tottenham simply unlucky, or did something go badly wrong behind the scenes?
The Maddison Situation Raised Serious Concerns
The injury that perhaps best symbolised Tottenham’s disastrous season was James Maddison’s ACL tear.
Maddison had already suffered knee problems during the previous campaign and returned cautiously during pre-season. But in August 2025, during a friendly against Newcastle, he suffered another major knee injury that ruled him out for most of the season.
What made the situation more alarming were later reports suggesting an external specialist had advised against surgery after Maddison initially suffered a partial ACL tear months earlier. Eventually, the ligament fully ruptured.
That immediately led to criticism of Tottenham’s medical decision-making.
Was Maddison rushed back too quickly? Was his workload managed properly? Why did a player with known knee concerns continue to be exposed to such physical demands?
When injuries repeatedly worsen after attempted recoveries, supporters naturally begin questioning the competence of the medical department.
Kulusevski and the Never-Ending Rehab Cycle
Dejan Kulusevski’s situation became another source of frustration.
The Swedish international spent huge portions of the season unavailable with persistent knee problems, and reports suggested he was still struggling more than a year after the original issue emerged.
Tottenham’s attacking structure completely collapsed without him. Kulusevski had been one of the few players capable of…
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