Jamie Carragher believes that James Maddison may become a pivotal figure if Tottenham Hotspur hopes to avoid the drop and retain their Premier League status. The north London side have been plagued by a cascade of injuries, and the recent 1-0 victory over Wolves – their first win of the 2026 calendar year – came at a cost. Xavi Simons has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, a loss that Carragher described as a "major blow" to Spurs' survival hopes. Simons' £52 million absence is just the latest in a string of setbacks.
Tottenham sit two points adrift of safety with four matches left, after summer recruit Mohammed Kudus and captain Cristian Romero were both declared out for the season early in Ange Postecoglou's tenure. Dejan Kulusevski has also been sidelined, and Maddison has not featured since August after suffering a torn ACL.
Although he has been named in the last two matchday squads, the former Liverpool and England midfielder has not been cleared to make his long‑awaited comeback. During Monday Night Football, Carragher argued that Maddison possesses the "magic" Spurs need to stave off relegation.
"Spurs have been extraordinarily unlucky with injuries," he told Sky Sports. "If they hadn't suffered this injury record, they wouldn't be in this predicament." He went on to note that three players occupying similar attacking roles – Kulusevski, Maddison and now Simons – have all endured ACL problems, compounding the club's crisis. Carragher continued, "I think Maddinson, returning from a serious injury, may have to play a role in keeping Tottenham up. He is the only player I can picture delivering something special.
He has the quality of Jarrod Bowen and Morgan Gibbs‑White." He added that even a brief cameo of fifteen to twenty minutes off the bench could be decisive, especially in the upcoming away fixtures at Aston Villa and Chelsea. "When I think about the Spurs squad and the lingering fear of relegation, Maddison would still take the ball regardless of the situation. For Spurs to survive, I feel he has a role to play," Carragher asserted. Everton forward Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall echoed the sentiment on the same programme, calling Maddison "probably the most creative player in the Spurs squad." He suggested that the midfielder might be called upon to make an impact in the final minutes of a match, either by creating a chance or scoring a goal, noting that Tottenham currently lack a clear attacking threat.
The relegation battle remains tight. After the weekend, Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest all matched Forest's win, each desperate to avoid joining Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next season. Spurs have four games remaining: home matches against Leeds United and Everton, and away trips to Aston Villa and Chelsea. Carragher warned that despite the win at Wolves, Tottenham could still struggle due to a paucity of goals compared with Forest and West Ham, who boast players like Gibbs‑White and Bowen.
"It's going to be really tough for Spurs," Carragher said. "The fans might think they've finally won a game after a barren season, but West Ham and Forest also won theirs. Adding the fresh injuries from the weekend, even with a win, Spurs are in a worse position than last week because they've already taken care of the easiest fixture on paper." Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood also weighed in on Sky Sports FC, attributing Tottenham's woes to a spate of non‑contact injuries. "Injuries have derailed Tottenham all season, and it can't be just bad luck.
They need to examine what's happening to their players because many of these are soft‑tissue issues rather than contact injuries. Ultimately, they may pay the ultimate price – relegation," Sherwood warned. He highlighted the long‑term absences of Kulusevski and Maddison, urging the club to conduct a thorough review over the summer. Sherwood compared Spurs' attacking options unfavourably with those of West Ham and Nottingham Forest, both of which employ a front four featuring players such as Morgan Gibbs‑White or Jarrod Bowen.
"Spurs don't have an attacker who can even come close to those players," he said. "After watching the Wolves game and seeing the injuries up front, who is going to score for Spurs? Who will create?" He expressed doubt about Tottenham's chances at Villa and Chelsea, describing those fixtures as "tough games no matter how good a team you are." Sherwood concluded, "I can't see them scoring a goal. If they do, it will likely be a solitary strike, meaning they'd have to keep a clean sheet to win.
That puts enormous pressure on the home games against Leeds and Everton." In summary, both Carragher and Sherwood agree that Tottenham's survival hinges on overcoming a severe injury crisis and finding a spark in the final weeks. James Maddison, if cleared to play, could provide that flash of brilliance, but the club's broader problems – a thin attacking roster and a series of soft‑tissue setbacks – remain formidable obstacles as the season draws to a close.