Jamie Carragher believes that James Maddison may become a crucial factor if Tottenham Hotspur are to survive in the Premier League and avoid the drop. The North London side have been plagued by a cascade of injuries, and the recent 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers – their first win of the 2026 calendar year – was achieved despite losing several key attacking players. Xavi Simons, who was ruled out for the remainder of the season, joined a growing list of absentees that now includes summer signing Mohammed Kudus and captain Cristian Romero, both forced to miss the rest of the campaign early in Ange Postecoglou's tenure.
Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have also been sidelined, Maddison after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in August. Although Maddison has been named in the last two matchday squads, the medical staff have not cleared him for a full‑time comeback. On Monday Night Football, however, Carragher argued that the creative midfielder possesses the kind of "magic" that could lift Spurs out of the relegation mire.
"Tottenham have been unbelievably unlucky with injuries," he told Sky Sports. "If they hadn't suffered this injury crisis they wouldn't find themselves in this precarious position." Carragher highlighted a worrying pattern: three players occupying similar attacking roles – Kulusevski, Maddison and now Simons – have all suffered ACL problems. He suggested that Maddison's return, even if limited to a brief cameo off the bench, could provide the spark the team desperately needs, especially in the upcoming away fixtures at Aston Villa and Chelsea. "He is the only player I can think of who could do something special," Carragher said, drawing a comparison to the flair of Jarrod Bowen and Morgan Gibbs‑White.
"Even if he only gets fifteen or twenty minutes, his presence could create the kind of moment that changes a game." Former Spurs midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall echoed this sentiment on the same programme, describing Maddison as "probably the most creative player in the Spurs squad". He added that while Maddison would not have wanted to be thrust into such a high‑pressure role, his ability to produce a chance or a goal in the final minutes could be decisive.
"Spurs haven't really got a hat-trick of quality forwards at the moment," Dewsbury‑Hall noted, underscoring the scarcity of attacking firepower. Tottenham now have four matches left: home games against Leeds United and Everton, and away trips to Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Carragher warned that despite the morale boost from the Wolves win, the team faces a serious goal‑scoring deficit compared with rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, both of whom boast players like Bowen and Gibbs‑White who can unlock defenses on a regular basis. "It's going to be really tough for Spurs," he said.
"The fans may think they've finally won a game of football, but they haven't won a game all season. Meanwhile, West Ham and Forest have also secured victories, so the gap hasn't closed." Ex‑Spurs manager Tim Sherwood weighed in on Sky Sports FC, attributing the club's woes largely to the injury epidemic. "Injuries have derailed Tottenham all season, and it can't just be bad luck," he argued.
"Many of these are non‑contact soft‑tissue problems, and they are costing the club dearly. If your best players keep going down and you can't get them back, you are setting yourself up for relegation." Sherwood also pointed out the lack of a genuine goal‑scorer in the Spurs lineup.
"West Ham and Nottingham Forest have difficult fixtures on paper, but they have quality forwards who can find the net. Tottenham, on the other hand, don't have anyone in attack who can match the output of Bowen or Gibbs‑White. That's what worries me." Looking ahead, both Carragher and Sherwood expressed doubt about Tottenham's ability to score against the likes of Villa and Chelsea. Carragher said, "I can't see them scoring a goal.
If they do, it will probably be a solitary strike, meaning they must keep a clean sheet to win. That puts enormous pressure on the home games against Leeds and Everton." In summary, the consensus among pundits is that James Maddison's return, even in a limited capacity, could be the catalyst Tottenham need to scrape together the points required for survival. His vision, passing range, and knack for unlocking tight defenses might provide the elusive "magic" that Carragher and others have been searching for. While the odds remain stacked against Spurs, a late‑game cameo from Maddison could generate the kind of moment that turns a losing battle into a fight for survival, giving the club a fighting chance to stay in the Premier League.