Tottenham handed major injury boost as James Maddison shares heartfelt message about teammate
James Maddison has penned a touching message to Radu Dragusin after the defender made his long-awaited return to action in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday — his first minutes in nine months.
The Tottenham centre-back has been sidelined since January with a ruptured ACL but took a major step towards full fitness with a 45-minute runout against Leyton Orient at Hotspur Way. Dragusin, who resumed full team training a few weeks ago, has been gradually eased back into action under careful supervision from Spurs’ medical staff.
Head coach Thomas Frank previously explained in late October: “He’s fully integrated into training now. An ACL injury isn’t tricky, but it’s a big one — nine months out means you’ve got to rebuild the strength in the knee. He’s getting closer to being involved, and we plan to get him some minutes in a friendly during the November break.”
Although there had been talk of Dragusin training with Romania’s national team, he is not expected to feature in their World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina or San Marino.
Maddison, who was present for Dragusin’s return, shared a heartfelt post on Instagram after the match:
“Day off for me today. But couldn’t miss Radu’s first minutes back after nine months. I’ve seen first-hand how hard this man has worked to be ready to play again. His attitude honestly keeps me so motivated Proud of ya mush .”
Dragusin replied to Maddison’s message, saying: “Means a lot mate.” Maddison himself is currently three months into recovery from a serious knee injury, with Frank optimistic that he’ll feature again before the end of the season.
Tottenham’s injury list remains extensive, with Dejan Kulusevski sidelined after knee surgery in May, while Dominic Solanke and Ben Davies have also struggled with ankle and thigh problems respectively. Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, and Kota Takai are still unavailable, and Lucas Bergvall has missed recent matches with concussion.
Mohammed Kudus sat out the 2-2 draw with Manchester United but should return after the international break. However, Randal Kolo Muani is a doubt for the upcoming North London Derby after suffering a fractured jaw in a collision with Harry Maguire. There were also minor concerns for Cristian Romero, though Frank later confirmed his withdrawal was due to fatigue, and he has since joined Argentina for friendlies against Angola and Australia.
