Charlton Athletic new boy Marcus Maddison set for bench role against Sunderland

Lee Bowyer has confirmed that Marcus Maddison will be in the Charlton squad for tomorrow’s home game against Sunderland – but isn’t fit enough to start.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder signed a 12-month deal on Friday. He was a free agent since leaving Hull City at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Bowyer said: “His fitness is low. He hasn’t really done much, I think he’s done a little bit of training with another club. Apart from that his fitness is behind everybody.

“That’s the problem you get when you sign players who aren’t at other clubs – they are gonna be behind.”

Bowyer says that Maddison first emerged as a target last summer after the Addicks had won promotion to the Championship.

“It wasn’t possible though – the money we had to offer meant we couldn’t afford someone like Marcus Maddison. But in the January window when we did try and bring him in we thought it was different and we had money to spend – which never materialised.

“But now we finally get the opportunity to bring the lad in. He is something we haven’t got in the squad. His assists are about 15 a season and also 10 goals.

“I’m not going to name names but there are players who miss just as many as they score from his crosses and passing, so he should have a lot more to his numbers.”

Chuks Aneke, who had been missing after contracting Covid-19, is back in the squad. Charlton are depleted in their fronline after selling Macauley Bonne to QPR today.

“I have to be careful with him because he has not been back long,” said Bowyer. “With Macauley going he is our one option up top.”