James Maddison Injured in Pre-Season Friendly as Son Bids Farewell

Seoul, South Korea — Tottenham Hotspur‘s midfielder James Maddison suffered a serious injury during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle on Sunday that has raised major concerns ahead of the new season.

Maddison, who was brought on as a late substitute, collapsed on the pitch after an attempted challenge. He immediately clutched his head in distress before hitting the ground in pain. Teammates gathered around as he received treatment, and he was eventually taken off on a stretcher with visible tears.

This incident overshadowed an emotional farewell for Spurs’ captain Heung-min Son, who played his last match for the club after ten years. Son’s departure was celebrated with a guard of honour, but quickly turned to concern for Maddison.

The injury comes as a significant setback for Spurs, with manager Thomas Frank already dealing with Dejan Kulusevski‘s absence to start the season. Maddison’s fitness will be crucial as Spurs prepare for their upcoming matches, including a Super Cup clash against Paris Saint-Germain next Wednesday.

The injury also comes after Spurs missed out on potential additions like Morgan Gibbs-White, leaving Frank short on creative options. Spurs opened the scoring early against Newcastle with Brennan Johnson‘s goal, but the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

The team is set to face Bayern Munich later this week before launching their Premier League season against Burnley next Saturday.

As the team progresses, Maddison’s condition will be closely monitored, impacting their preparedness for the league ahead.