Tottenham boost as Dejan Kulusevski plays first game after 500-day injury hell

The Sweden international has not played for club or country since May 2025 due to a complicated kneecap injury that required two separate surgeries over the course of 10 months.

Kulusevski’s long road back to fitness has been fraught with difficulty, with an initial return to first-team training recently disrupted as he was temporarily pulled out following a setback.

However, he has since returned again and ramped up his comeback further during the extended three-week international break.

Last week, the second of the international window, Standard Sport understands that Kulusevski, as first reported by the Daily Mail, took part in an 11-a-side training match at Hotspur Way.

The former Juventus winger was on a team made up of first-team players, who took on an opposing side comprised of some of Tottenham’s Under-21s and U18s talents.

It is not clear how many minutes Kulusevski was able to play or the impact he had on the game, but a return to match action after an absence lasting 17 months and more than 500 days is a significant milestone as he builds fitness in preparation for a long-awaited competitive comeback and first appearance under current head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

Injury hell: Dejan Kulusevski has not played for Tottenham since May 2025

Getty Images

It remains to be seen when exactly he will be back in contention for Tottenham in the Premier League, with his progress still being managed carefully by Spurs’ revamped medical department, led by performance director Dan Lewindon.

Tottenham are adopting a more cautious approach after an injury crisis derailed each of their previous two campaigns, contributing to back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League and last season’s relegation battle that was only decided on the final day.

Chelsea loanee Mykhailo Mudryk is still sidelined with an ankle issue, while Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are both working their way back from anterior cruciate ligament ruptures suffered last season.

Despite a lavish summer transfer spend in excess of £300million, Tottenham sit bottom of the table ahead of the Premier League’s return this weekend with no wins and only two points and two goals to their name after five matches.

They resume action on Saturday evening at Old Trafford against a Manchester United team who have won only one of their first five games amid pressure on manager Michael Carrick.