Maddison Makes First Spurs Start in 17 Months vs Coventry

James Maddison will make his first Tottenham start since May 2025 on Monday night, headlining a much-changed Spurs side for the visit of Coventry City — with Dejan Kulusevski back on the bench after 17 months out.

Five changes as the returns pile up

Tottenham confirmed that Roberto De Zerbi has made five changes to the side that drew at Manchester United, with Maddison set for his first competitive start for the club since May 2025.

Andy Robertson, captain Micky van de Ven and Omar Marmoush all return to the starting XI, while Tosin Adarabioyo makes his first league start for Spurs. The full line-up reads: Kinsky; Robertson, Tosin, Van Hecke, Van de Ven; Gray, Tonali, Maddison; Kudus, Marmoush, Solanke.

And on the bench sits the other headline name: Kulusevski, back in a matchday squad for the first time in 17 months after the kneecap injury that ended his season in May 2025.

A long road back for Maddison

Maddison's last start came in the 3-1 Europa League semi-final win over Bodo/Glimt in May 2025. Since then his career has been a cycle of comebacks: knee problems wrecked last season, and this term he has been limited to five substitute appearances totalling around 90 minutes.

De Zerbi had teased the decision at his press conference. "Maybe. Maybe, yes," he said when asked if Maddison could start. "You need to play many games to reach the best physical condition, but there are players able to be important even if they play 10, 15, 20 minutes, and James is one of them. Right now, he's ready to start the game."

Spurs are still without plenty: Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended, while Pedro Porro, Lucas Bergvall, Savio, Mykhailo Mudryk, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are all injured — which is exactly why the returning creativity matters so much, as football.london note in their live coverage from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

So what: bottom of the league, no more excuses

The context is stark. Tottenham start the night bottom of the Premier League — winless in six, with three draws and three defeats — while Frank Lampard's Coventry arrive on back-to-back wins, beating Nottingham Forest and then thrashing Newcastle 4-1. A home win would lift Spurs to 16th; anything less and the crisis deepens.

De Zerbi used the international break for a four-night bonding camp in Marbella, phones banned at mealtimes, in a bid to reset a squad transformed by ten summer signings. De Zerbi has not hidden from the pressure — and tonight, with his two most creative players finally available again, the reset has to produce a result.

Coventry line up as: Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Pinnock, Dasilva; Yirenkyi, Grimes, Rudoni, Sakamoto; Thomas-Asante, Cherif.

Beyond the Final Whistle: this is the night Tottenham's injury excuses run out. Maddison starting and Kulusevski on the bench does not just add quality — it removes the last hiding place for a winless, bottom-of-the-table side playing at home against a promoted team. If Spurs cannot win this one, with their creators back and a bonding camp behind them, the conversation stops being about fitness and starts being about the manager. Can Maddison inspire Spurs to their first win of the season tonight? Let us know in the comments.