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Ange Postecoglou decides whether James Maddison will start for Tottenham against Ipswich on Sunday

Tottenham Hotspur have two more games until the upcoming international break after what has been a grueling couple of weeks.

It has been quite a week for Ange Postecoglou in north London with a shock defeat to Crystal Palace backed up by victories over Manchester City and Aston Villa.

But there is now one final fixture in the Europa League and Premier League before Tottenham players depart for their international duties.

The Lilywhites are also carrying a number of injuries into the final two games before the break with more sustained over the weekend.

Cristian Romero will miss the trip to Galatasaray and the clash against Ipswich Town but has still been called up to the Argentina squad.

And it seems as if Postecoglou has already got one eye on the game against the Tractor Boys this weekend with one player already expected to start.

Tottenham Hotspur FC v Aston Villa FC - Premier League
Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images

James Maddison expected to start for Tottenham vs Ipswich Town

According to , Postecoglou is expected to hand James Maddison a place in the starting lineup on Sunday.

The Englishman was not included in the starting XI for the game on the weekend against Aston Villa but did come on and make an impact.

With three points all but secured, Maddison was able to seal the victory with his first-ever free kick goal for Tottenham since signing.

What will be interesting to see is whether Maddison is involved from the start on Thursday against Galatasaray with Robbie Earle calling Maddison a ‘luxury’ player.

With Dejan Kulusevski impressing Postecoglou so much this season it is hard to imagine the Swede would be dropped for Maddison.

And there are major questions as to whether the pair can actually play from the start together.

How Dejan Kulusevski has replaced James Maddison at Tottenham

Having signed as a winger from Juventus, Kulusevski has found some of his best form in the role of a more central attacking midfielder.

Kulusevski has impressed Alan Shearer with his early season form and it was seen on the weekend against Villa that he has uprooted Maddison from the starting XI.

2024/25Dejan KulusevskiJames Maddison
Goals23
Assists23
Shot-creating actions (per 90)5.975.84
Blocks144
Tackles in attacking third83

But it is not just what the Swede is doing on the ball as off the ball Postecoglou has hailed Kulusevski’s work rate in pressing the opposition.

“He is relentless in his running capacity and he also has the quality,” said Postecoglou.