Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison is looking to force his way back into the forefront of boss Ange Postecoglou's Hotspur Way plans after it was initially decided that he cannot feature alongside Dejan Kulusevski in a central position, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
The England international came off the bench to bag his third goal of the season as he curled a stoppage time free-kick into the corner of the net to round off a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa last weekend, boosting his chances of returning to the starting line-up in upcoming clashes with Galatasaray and Ipswich Town.
Maddison, who joined Tottenham in a £40million switch from Leicester City in June 2023, is desperate to force Postecoglou into a significant U-turn and regain his position as one of the first names on the team sheet as the north Londoners aim to build on returning to winning ways.
Maddison Faces Crucial Week in Bid for Starts
Creative midfielder was dropped for Aston Villa victory
Maddison is facing a big week to convince Postecoglou that he deserves to return to the starting line-up on a regular basis, according to GMS sources, after the Tottenham chief decided it was best to move away from deploying him in the middle of the park with Kulusevski as they went in search of recovering from a defeat to Crystal Palace last month.
The 27-year-old has highlighted that he is capable of causing havoc for defenders over the course of his Premier League career, thanks to finding the back of the net 50 times and contributing a further 44 assists in 201 appearances, but his Swedish teammate was preferred for the meeting with Aston Villa last time out.
Although Kulusevski coming away from the right flank has hindered Maddison, GMS sources have been informed that Pape Matar Sarr is also blocking his pathway into the first-team after becoming a crucial figure in the heart of Tottenham's midfield during the early stages of the campaign.
The 27-year-old creative midfielder is the second-highest earner at Spurs, with captain Heung-min Son being the only teammate pocketing more than his £170,000-per-week, and he is hopeful of being handed another chance to prove his worth ahead of domestic action being put on hold for the international break.
Tottenham's trip to Galatasaray for a Europa League clash and the Premier League contest with Ipswich are being viewed behind the scenes as two fixtures that could open the door for Maddison to make his mark, GMS sources have learned, meaning it may prove to be a pivotal week as he aims to give Postecoglou a selection dilemma.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: James Maddison has made 19 key passes over the course of 10 Premier League appearances this season
Maddison Poised for Prominent Ipswich Role
England international expected to thrive against strugglers
GMS sources have been told that Maddison is expected to be back in the starting line-up for the meeting with Premier League strugglers Ipswich as he is likely to thrive against Kieran McKenna's side, with Tottenham poised to dominate possession, but it is unclear over whether he will be heavily involved against Galatasaray on Thursday.
There are doubts over the strength of the squad that Postecoglou wants to field in Turkey, where Spurs will look to maintain their 100 per cent winning record in the Europa League having scored six goals and conceded just two when they have overcome Qarabag, Ferencvaros and AZ Alkmaar.
Tottenham have been fearful that Richarlison's hamstring problem could be a major setback at a time when Son and Timo Werner's minutes are being carefully managed as they aim to recover from injuries of their own, GMS sources recently revealed, and the Greek-Australian tactician has been left with a selection headache.
Postecoglou has been planning to adjust his team with the opponents in mind more than they were at the start of the season, GMS sources understand, and that has also counted against Maddison at stages as the former Celtic boss looks to ensure the north Londoners win the midfield battle.