Dejan Kulusevski, the Swedish international midfielder on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Juventus, is a patron and recently had surgery on his injured foot. As such, he’ll be suspended for next Wednesday’s Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao. The latest injury news was compounded when Kulusevski, the club’s MVP earlier this season with 10 goals and 11 assists in 50 matches, went down. Now, he’s being laid low by an unexpected and intractable bogeyman. His playing time has taken a nosedive, with just 32 minutes in the last month.
The surgery, which was performed yesterday, will bring Kulusevski’s return to play date beyond the next few months. Even while the club remained hopeful at the outset that this was not a high-severity injury, it changed course quickly. Manager Ange Postecoglou said after the draw he was disappointed about the situation, saying they had expected recovery time to be faster than that.
Injury Details and Impact on the Team
Kulusevski’s hamstring tear is a major misfortune for Postecoglou as he moves his focus on to the all-important Europa League decider. The player who had emerged as the keystone of Tottenham’s lineup through the first half of the season. His contributions were especially welcome as he led the team in almost every metric—assists, chances created, etc.—before getting hurt in March.
Though his recent results haven’t reflected it, Kulusevski has been impressive with how quickly he’s responded to rehabilitation challenges. Due to the nature of his injury, it’s been hard for him to be effective on the pitch. Since returning from the injury, he has yet to log an assist and hasn’t created much of anything. He hasn’t done take-ons or used pressure in the attacking third in all competitions this term.
“Disappointing news. Initially, we thought it wasn’t too serious. It seemed pretty good but it kind of blew up the day after.” – Ange Postecoglou
This most recent setback casts some doubt over Kulusevski’s long-term role with the team. The club’s medical staff will likely monitor his progress closely as they determine when he can safely return to action.
Recovery Timeline and Future Prospects
Postecoglou offered some additional insight into how long we can expect Kulusevski to be out for. He acknowledged that the surgery would keep the player out for a few months. He did not provide a concrete date for the player’s return.
“He has had surgery and it will put him out for a few months.” – Ange Postecoglou
The director did note that this prediction would not necessarily entail a year-long recovery period. He warned against jumping to any conclusions this early in the process.
“No, it wouldn’t be anywhere near 12 months, but again me putting a timeframe on wouldn’t be right because he only had the surgery yesterday.” – Ange Postecoglou
This uncertainty has both fans and team executives holding their breath as they await further news on Kulusevski’s status.
Kulusevski’s Season Performance
Kulusevski had been a huge factor in Tottenham’s strong campaign up to that point, and his injury would have a major effect going forward. His 10 goals and 11 assists in 50 games made him a key figure in their offensive contribution. The team and fanbase will no doubt mourn his absence as they take on Fiorentina in the Europa League final in a few weeks. His previous work on the campaign moved the needle.
Despite playing limited minutes recently, Kulusevski’s ability to create scoring opportunities and pressure opponents made him invaluable to Tottenham’s lineup. His success as captain of the Swedish national team really illustrates how deep his experience and skill set goes.
“It’s fair to say months, but how many months I wouldn’t speculate at the moment.” – Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham prepares for their decisive game against Manchester United. They have to plan their game under the shadow of one of their all star players. The coming weeks will reveal how they adapt to this unexpected challenge while hoping for a swift recovery for Kulusevski.
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