Tottenham Hotspur fans may be fearing the worst as Sweden’s team doctor has now shed light on the complicated nature of Dejan Kulusevski’s injury.
The attacking midfielder has not kicked a ball since May 2025, with three different managers being sacked since he last played a game for the Lilywhites.
Kulusevski had set his sights on being fit for this summer’s World Cup, but that ultimately proved beyond his reach, with the Tottenham man being left out of Sweden’s World Cup squad.
The Spurs star is now back running out on the field, which will give the supporters some optimism, but they will not like hearing what has now been revealed about the 26-year-old’s injury.
Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski has a ‘troublesome’ cartilage injury
Sweden’s national team doctor Jonas Werner has now explained why the Tottenham star’s rehabilitation is taking so long.
He explained that Kulusevski has picked up a cartilage injury at a spot which is prone to a lot of stress, which has meant that it has not healed enough yet.
Werner said (via Football.London): “It’s been a long story with Dejan. He’s done everything he can to get ready, but when it came to deciding [if he would make the squad] he wasn’t.
“The reason is that he hasn’t played football in a year, but even the medical assessments made this spring have pointed in the direction that he wouldn’t be ready.
“Cartilage injuries, like in Dejan’s case, are troublesome. They are difficult to treat. Plus, he has it in a place that gets a lot of stress. The injury simply hasn’t healed enough to handle that stress.”
When asked if the former Juventus man will ever be able to play football again, the doctor said: “I have high hopes for that, and I really hope so.”
Why Spurs may not be able to count on Kulusevski in their squad planning
In a touching post on social media, Kulusevski admitted that he is fighting every day to get back to doing what he loves the most.
De Zerbi previously admitted that Kulusevski is a ‘perfect’ player for his system, and the Italian will undoubtedly be hoping that the Swede returns sooner rather than later.
However, there is no guarantee on when the attacker will be able to play competitively again and whether he will be the same player he was before his injury.
One suspects that De Zerbi and Spurs will not be counting on Kulusevski when mapping out their squad for next season.