Roberto De Zerbi has shed light on what Dejan Kulusevski has told him about his rehabilitation and whether we could see the Tottenham midfielder back in action soon.
Kulusevski has not kicked a ball yet this season, with the attacking midfielder having been out of action with a knee injury since last May.
According to reports, Tottenham are waiting for the pain in Kulusevski’s knee to subside before stepping up his rehabilitation.
There is still no clear return date for the attacking midfielder, who has now spent 12 months on the treatment table, and the Spurs boss has now shed some light on his recovery.
Roberto De Zerbi reveals Dejan Kulusevski is optimistic about return to Tottenham training
Kulusevski has set his sights on being fit for this summer’s World Cup after seeing Sweden seal their place in the tournament via the playoffs.
De Zerbi is not sure if the former Juventus man could feature in the big tournament this summer, but he revealed that the 26-year-old is optimistic that he is not far away from returning to the pitch.
When asked if Kulusevski can still play at the World Cup next month, the Tottenham boss told Football.London: “I don’t know the situation well. I hope so but I don’t know his injury and I can’t say nothing more. For me, it’s difficult to understand how he can play at the World Cup if he didn’t play any games this season.
“But I texted him after [the Villa game]. He told me in the next week, I think, he comes back and I hope he can be available to stay with us in the last game because he is an amazing player.”
Kulusevski looks set to stay at Spurs next season
Many senior stars are expected to leave Tottenham this summer, as the club undertakes a rebuild of the squad ahead of De Zerbi’s first full season in charge.
However, the Swede is not expected to be part of the exodus, with some reports stating that Kulusevski is prepared to stay at Spurs even if they get relegated.
De Zerbi previously admitted that Kulusevski is a ‘perfect’ player for his system, which suggests that the Italian is not going to be inclined to move on the attacking midfielder this summer.