Dejan Kulusevski Breaks Silence on Mysterious Injury Nearly a Year On

The Tottenham playmaker has been out of action since last May.

Dejan Kulusevski has been injured for almost a year. | Lukasz Germaniuk/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Dejan Kulusevski has been in high spirits over the international break, despite being sidelined since last May with a “complicated” knee injury.

Few would’ve expected the Swede to miss such a lengthy amount of time as a result of the setback, especially former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, who described Kulusevski’s issue as a “knock” at the time.

The 25-year-old’s collision with ex-Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi would not merely see him miss the 2025 Europa League final, but the entirety of the 2025–26 season so far as well. Potential return dates have been relentlessly bypassed, with a lack of communication from Spurs regarding Kulusevski’s recovery leaving supporters in the dark.

We still don’t know when the powerful playmaker could make his comeback, but Kulusevski seems to believe that the worst is over.

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’Never Felt Better’—Kulusevski Remains Optimistic

Kulusevski sustained a unique knee injury before last season’s Europa League final | Michael Regan/UEFA/Getty Images

An already fraught fanbase was sent into a tailspin at the start of the international break when videos emerged of Kulusevski walking with a limp as he spent time with the national team ahead of the UEFA branch of the World Cup playoffs.

The Spurs man provided clarity on Instagram in the aftermath, confirming that he underwent an “intervention” two weeks ago and said his knee is “great now.”

“I understand that people were worried. But it was really for the wrong reason,” he told Viaplay. “It was really positive that I did this little procedure and that we were able to find the problem.”

What exactly happened to Kulusevski’s patella remains unclear, with the most pessimistic drawing comparisons to the horrific injury Brazilian great Ronaldo sustained in 2000 that altered his career.

Kulusevski’s injury, while incredibly frustrating, isn’t believed to be quite so severe, and the 25-year-old, who’s previously credited the late, great Kobe Bryant and his ’Mamba Mentality’ as a major inspiration, remains optimistic over his outlook.

“Now everything should be solved. Now it's just a matter of slowly and surely coming back. I can see the light. It feels better now,” he added.

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Will Kulusevski Play for Tottenham This Season?

Tottenham are just a point above the relegation zone. | Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images

Tottenham have sorely missed the creative presences of Kulusevski and James Maddison this season, with the latter tearing his ACL last August.

There’s hope that the Englishman will feature at some point down the stretch, boosting Spurs’ hopes of Premier League survival, but Kulusevski has another target in mind.

He is desperate to play at this summer’s World Cup, and Sweden will book their place at the tournament by beating Poland next Tuesday. Viktor Gyökeres’s hat-trick inspired a 3–1 victory over Ukraine in Thursday’s semifinal.

When asked if he sees himself playing for the national team in North America, Kulusevski confidently replied: “100%. Yes. That’s the driving force I have. To have that opportunity is absolutely fantastic. It’s a challenge that I haven’t been able to overcome so far in terms of getting healthy, but it’s not over yet.

“I’m absolutely convinced that we'll win these two games, and I’ll be ready to play and play my first World Cup in the USA. That’s how the movie will end, God willing.”

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