Ben Dinnery is an injury analyst and sports journalist who is highly regarded for his timely, accurate coverage of injuries to football players, especially in the English Premier League.
Ben’s expertise lies in tracking, understanding and analysing player injuries, so he can provide accurate and reliable information on how injuries might affect team line-ups, match outcomes, and fantasy football selections.
In conjunction with world-leading experts in all aspects of elite athlete injury and performance, he also provides valuable insights to the world of elite athlete injury prevention and recovery for the benefit of all sport participants.
A Premier League injury expert has told The Boy Hotspur’s Substack that he expects Dominic Solanke to be back playing in a Spurs shirt before Christmas, and gave his expectations for fellow teammates Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.
“Dominic Solanke is nearing a return to the first team for Spurs,” he said. “His recovery has proven to be a bit slower than first hoped, but the medical staff will be erring on the side of caution because he hasn’t been involved for a few months.
“I would expect to see Solanke in and around the starting line-up in the very near future; perhaps early December, and likely before Christmas. Spurs host Liverpool on December 20th – they’ll hope he’ll be nearing full fitness for that.
Maddison won’t feature until 2026/27
Dinnery added that he would be surprised to see James Maddison appear this season following his long-term ACL injury. He said:
“Any kind of return to the squad for James Maddison before the end of the season would be a huge bonus and the best-case scenario for Spurs,” he said. “Typically, we estimate between nine and ten months on the sidelines with ACL injuries. One of the factors that could change the timeframe is if Spurs are pushing for a trophy towards the end of the season; they might try to bring Maddison back sooner so he can feature in a vital fixture.”
“There are occasions where players can return from an ACL injury within six or seven months, but that comes with some issues. Any return to play within nine months carries an inherent risk of recurring injury. While there’s a possibility we could see him training outdoors in March or April, I believe that we won’t be seeing Maddison return to the starting line-up this season.”
Dejan Kulusevski
When asked when Spurs fans could expect Dejan Kulusevski to return to the pitch, Dinnery said it would be very optimistic to see the Swedish forward back on the pitch for Spurs before 2026.
“Dejan Kulusevski’s situation is slightly more complicated,” he said.
“His return date has been delayed by some time, and it’s yet another example of a disruptive roadmap of a return from a long-term injury. There are always minor issues and setbacks along the way.”
“It’s difficult to give an accurate prediction because of his prolonged recovery, but my estimate would be a return to the pitch in early 2026, and possibly seeing him feature in some friendlies or bounce games”.
