adminDe Zerbi Makes Big Maddison Decision: Tottenham XI vs Leeds Predicted
The Monday Night Football showdown carries massive weight in the Premier League relegation fight.
Tottenham host Leeds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Spurs sitting just one point above the drop zone in 17th place. Following the weekend’s results, this is Tottenham’s game in hand, and they know a victory would move them four points clear of danger with only two matches remaining. Their opponents, Leeds, learned on Sunday that their top-flight status is already secure.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi heads into the match with no fresh injury worries—a rare achievement for a Spurs side that has been plagued by fitness issues throughout the entire 2025/26 campaign.
Vicario still not ready to return
When asked about injuries, De Zerbi said: “No. I’m happy because we are working well with all players. Another very important week. We have no problems.”
He also provided an update on goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, confirming he remains unavailable, while discussing Dominic Solanke and James Maddison.
“I’m thinking about James Maddison because I’m watching a top, top player,” De Zerbi added. “Maybe he’s not ready yet to play, but it’s about physical condition, not rhythm—the intensity of the game. We are playing in the Premier League, the most difficult league in terms of intensity and rhythm.
“About Solanke, he’s improving very quickly. I don’t know if he’ll be available for this game. We hope for the next match at Stamford Bridge.”
If Solanke is unavailable as expected, he and Vicario will join six others on the injury list: Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Mohammed Kudus, and Dejan Kulusevski.
De Zerbi should have a confident Spurs side at his disposal for one of the few times this season, having guided them to back-to-back wins. They are now aiming for a third consecutive victory—something they have yet to achieve this campaign.
Will De Zerbi make changes to the Tottenham lineup?
So what will the Italian’s side look like on Monday night in N17?
De Zerbi made four changes from the team that beat Wolves 1-0 for the 2-1 win over Aston Villa, though two of those were enforced due to injuries to Simons and Solanke. Destiny Udogie returned from injury to replace Djed Spence at left-back, while João Palhinha came in for Yves Bissouma.
Given the performance against Villa, changes to the starting eleven seem unlikely. The only potential adjustment would be if De Zerbi feels Maddison is ready to start. However, given the Englishman’s lengthy absence, he is unlikely to be risked from the outset—he may instead be given a few minutes in the second half to test his sharpness.
With everyone else fit, the same lineup that started at Villa Park is expected to take the pitch.
Predicted Tottenham team to face Leeds: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.
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