Jamie Carragher believes that James Maddison may become a pivotal figure if Tottenham Hotspur hopes to avoid the drop and secure their place in the Premier League. The North London side have been plagued by a cascade of injuries, and their recent 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers – their first win of the 2026 calendar year – did little to mask the depth of their problems. Xavi Simons, the £52 million prodigy, was forced to miss the remainder of the season, a blow that Carragher described as "catastrophic" for Spurs' survival hopes.
Simons' sidelining is only the latest in a string of setbacks that have left Tottenham teetering two points shy of safety with four matches remaining. Early in Antonio Conte's successor, De Zerbi's tenure, the club lost summer acquisition Mohammed Kudus and captain Cristian Romero for the rest of the campaign. The injury list also includes Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, the latter having been out since August after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Although Maddison has been named in the squad for the past two matchdays, medical staff have deemed him not yet fit enough to make a full‑time return.
Yet, during his appearance on Monday Night Football, Carragher argued that Maddison possesses the "magic" Spurs need to stave off relegation. "Spurs have been unbelievably unlucky with injuries," he told Sky Sports. "If they hadn't suffered this injury curse, they wouldn't be in this predicament." Carragher highlighted a disturbing pattern: three players occupying similar attacking roles – Kulusevski, Maddison and now Simons – have all succumbed to ACL problems. "Now I feel Maddinson, who is returning from a long lay‑off, may have to step up and help keep Tottenham up," he said.
He went on to compare Maddison's potential impact with that of Jarrod Bowen and Morgan Gibbs‑White, noting that the English midfielder has the same creative spark. "He might only get 15 to 20 minutes off the bench, but he's the only one who could provide that flash of brilliance, especially in tough away fixtures against Aston Villa and Chelsea," Carragher added. When asked about the psychological effect of the recent win, Carragher explained that despite the lift from beating Wolves, the fear of relegation still lingers. "Maddison will still want the ball, regardless of the situation.
For Spurs to stay up, I feel he has a role to play," he 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 even a short cameo could generate a goal‑creating chance or a decisive strike, something Tottenham have desperately needed. The broader relegation battle remains fierce.
After the weekend's fixtures, Tottenham, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest all found themselves in precarious positions, each desperate to avoid joining Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next season. Spurs have four games left: home matches against Leeds United and Everton, and away trips to Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Carragher warned that the lack of firepower could be a serious obstacle, especially when compared with Forest and West Ham, who boast attacking talents such as Bowen and Gibbs‑White. "It's going to be really tough for Spurs," he said. "The fans may think a single win has rescued them, but they haven't won a game all year.
Meanwhile, rivals West Ham and Forest also secured victories, so the gap hasn't closed. In fact, after the injuries sustained over the weekend, Tottenham might be in a worse position than before, despite having cleared the easiest fixture on paper." Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood weighed in on Sky Sports FC, emphasizing that the injury crisis has derailed Tottenham's season and is more than just bad luck. "They need to review what's happening to their players," he warned. "Many of these injuries are non‑contact soft‑tissue problems.
If your key players keep getting knocked out and you can't get them back to fitness, the ultimate price could be relegation." Sherwood singled out Kulusevski and Maddison, noting that both have been sidelined for an unusually long period. He urged the club to conduct a thorough medical audit over the summer to prevent a repeat of this scenario. Looking ahead, Sherwood expressed doubt about Tottenham's ability to find a goal scorer in the upcoming matches. "After watching the Wolves game and seeing the injuries up front, who is going to score for Spurs?
Who will create? The fixtures at Villa and Chelsea are tough regardless of form.
I can't see them scoring more than one goal in each. If they do, they will need a clean sheet to win, which puts enormous pressure on the home games against Leeds and Everton." In summary, both Carragher and former manager Tim Sherwood agree that the Spurs' injury woes have left them dangerously exposed. The only glimmer of hope may lie in James Maddison's return. Even a brief cameo could provide the creative spark and decisive moment needed to turn the tide in Tottenham's favor and keep the club in the Premier League.