Tottenham fear James Maddison will face a LONG time out with his ankle injury worse than expected

Tottenham fear James Maddison’s ankle injury is worse than first expected amid growing concerns he is facing a long lay-off.

Maddison was substituted in the first half of Tottenham’s loss to Chelsea on Monday night; head coach Ange Postecoglu confirming after the game that he sustained an ankle problem.

The attacking midfielder was named in the England squad on Thursday, appearing to allay fears that he will spend a sustained spell on the sidelines.

However, Maddison has withdrawn from the international party to face Malta and North Macedonia, raising concerns of his fitness.

And Mail Sport has learned that there are significant concerns at Spurs that Maddison, who has become an instant hit since his arrival from Leicester, is facing a lengthy spell out.

Postecoglou will be asked about Maddison’s fitness at his pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend clash versus Wolves.

But the prospect of losing Maddison, who has become such a crucial player for the club, will be of huge concern behind the scenes.

Maddison has been undergoing a range of examinations over the past few days to establish the extent of the damage to his ankle.

Speaking on Thursday, England manager Gareth Southgate said: ‘He seems positive. There’s clearly an element of doubt. But I think at the time of the decision (of his first half substitution versus Chelsea), they had just gone to 10, maybe the manager was thinking, ‘I’ve got a player who might have a knock and we’ve only got 10 players anyway.’

But a statement from Spurs this morning read: ‘We can confirm James Maddison has been withdrawn from the England squad due to an ankle injury.

‘The midfielder will not feature in the Three Lions' UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, and will remain at Hotspur Way for rehabilitation with the Club's medical staff.’

The concerns over Maddison’s long-term fitness arrive amid a growing injury crisis that has seen Richarlison ruled out after undergoing pelvic surgery and key defender Micky van der Ven facing months out with a hamstring injury.