Dejan Kulusevski has moved closer to making his long-awaited return for Tottenham Hotspur after taking another important step in his recovery from a serious knee injury.
The Swedish international has been out of action for both club and country since May 2025 after suffering a complicated kneecap injury that required two operations over a period of 10 months.
His recovery has been far from straightforward. Although the winger initially returned to first-team training, a setback forced Tottenham to temporarily withdraw him from the sessions. Fortunately, he has since resumed training and continued to make progress during the extended international break.
According to reports, Kulusevski participated in an 11-a-side training match at Tottenham’s Hotspur Way training ground last week. The session featured several senior players facing a team made up of Tottenham’s Under-21 and Under-18 prospects.
Although the exact number of minutes he played and his overall performance remain unknown, taking part in a full-sided training match represents a significant breakthrough after more than 500 days on the sidelines.
The former Juventus winger is now working towards regaining full match fitness before making his competitive return. If his recovery continues to progress positively, he could eventually make his first appearance under Tottenham’s current head coach, Roberto De Zerbi.
However, there is no confirmed date for his return to Premier League action. Tottenham’s medical team, led by performance director Dan Lewindon, are carefully monitoring his progress to avoid any further complications.
The North London club are taking a more cautious approach to injury management after fitness problems contributed to disappointing campaigns in recent seasons. Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League in consecutive seasons, with their most recent campaign involving a relegation battle that went down to the final day.
De Zerbi has also faced fresh injury concerns during the international break. Captain Micky van de Ven suffered a finger problem, while Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke reportedly experienced a foot issue. Right-back Pedro Porro also withdrew from Spain’s squad after picking up a hamstring injury during Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, Chelsea loanee Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable because of an ankle problem. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are also continuing their rehabilitation from anterior cruciate ligament injuries sustained last season.
Tottenham’s injury concerns come at a difficult time for the club. Despite investing more than £300 million in new players during the summer transfer window, Spurs have endured a disastrous start to the Premier League campaign.
They currently sit at the bottom of the table after five matches, having collected just two points and scored only twice without recording a single victory.
Tottenham will now turn their attention to Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford, where they face Manchester United. Their opponents have also struggled for consistency, winning just one of their opening five league matches as pressure continues to mount on manager Michael Carrick.
Kulusevski’s progress will therefore offer Tottenham supporters a potential boost as the club searches for solutions to its disappointing start to the season.
