Thomas Frank offers 'bad' James Maddison update as Spurs star leaves stadium on crutches
Thomas Frank has revealed that James Maddison looks to have suffered a 'bad' knee injury once again after he was stretchered off in Seoul. The Spurs midfielder was injured late on in South Korea, and was later seen leaving the stadium on crutches.
Medical staff had rushed on to treat the former Leicester man, who was clearly in agony. Maddison was then stretchered off, with Frank revealing that he has aggravated the knee injury that saw his season end prematurely last term.
Speaking after his side's 1-1 draw with Newcastle, he said: 'We're pretty sure it was the same knee he injured before.'
Maddison's injury was not the only headline from Spurs' most recent pre-season outing. The game also likely represented Son Heung-min's final match with the North London side.
He confirmed his desire to leave the club this summer in an emotional press conference before Sunday's game. On that announcement and Maddison's injury, Frank added: 'Yeah, it's like in life and football, I think sometimes life and football can be brutal, but also sometimes very beautiful.
'So I think it was brutal in what happened to to Madders. It looks like a bad injury. Of course we don't know exactly the status on it. It didn't look good.
'And then on the other side, unbelievable, beautiful scenes with Sonny and his teammates, the big respect from Newcastle, can't praise that highly enough from the players on the pitch.
'The scenes after, first when we walk around [the pitch] and then when his team-mates gathered around him and you could see he's highly emotional. Then in the changing room as well I just said a few things, very shortly because it's about Sonny and then he said a few things, of course very emotional, so very, very beautiful scenes about Sonny.'
Spurs will certainly be hoping that Maddison's injury isn't as bad as first feared. If so, it could force them back into the transfer market for recruits.
The North London side previously activated a release clause written into Morgan Gibbs-White's Nottingham Forest contract. But he eventually opted to sign a new contract at the City Ground.
Frank's side are in action once again next weekend as they take on Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in their final pre-season game. They then take on reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. Spurs get their new campaign against newly-promoted Burnley on home soil in just under a fortnight's time.
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