As February draws near, the Tottenham Hotspur injury list is diminishing. It remains to be seen if James Maddison (ankle) and/or Giovani Lo Celso (thigh strain) will be passed fit to feature on Friday night, versus Manchester City in the FA Cup 4th round.
Even if the physios clear them, they would almost certainly play only a limited role.
FA Cup Fourth Round FYIs
Manchester City at Tottenham Hotspur
Kickoff: Fri. Jan. 26, 8pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
Team News: Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur
Starting XI Predictions: Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Injury List in Detail: Part 1 Part 2
Book on the Premier League authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Fun Fact: Tottenham are undefeated in their last 13 (12WD1) FA Cup home games
Tottenham Team News
What a huge boost it will be for Spurs when Maddison is back in the mix. Not just for his qualities, but also for his leadership. He’s made an instant positive impact since he moved over from Leicester City in the summer.
In terms of other absentees for the Friday night clash, Heung Min-Son, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma all remain away on international duty.
There is likely better news, however, for Dejan Kulusevski (unspecified virus) and Ryan Sessegnon (thigh knock). Barring something unforeseen, both should be back this upcoming weekend.
Meanwhile Ben Davies, Manor Solomon, Alejo Veliz and Alfie Whiteman all remain out as long-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.