Tottenham Hotspur fans have not seen Dejan Kulusevski in action for a year and a half, but they will be hoping that they do not have to wait much longer.
Spurs’ creativity issues have not been helped this season by injuries to the likes of James Maddison, Xavi Simons and Kulusevski.
While Maddison’s return is a boost for Tottenham, the more exciting news is that Kulusevski started training with the Spurs squad earlier this month after nearly 500 days on the sidelines.
The 26-year-old has been named in Spurs’ Premier League squad, and supporters will be hoping to see him return to the matchday squad after the international break.
Graham Potter admits Tottenham, not Sweden, are in charge of Dejan Kulusevski’s rehabilitation
A little over a week ago, Graham Potter said he was hoping Kulusevski could be available for Sweden during the international break.
That statement may have caused some concerns at Tottenham, given that they are managing the attacking midfielder’s rehabilitation carefully.
The Sweden boss has now clarified that the North London club will make the final decision on the 26-year-old’s route back to competitive football.
Potter told Expressen and Fotboll Skanalen (via Sport Witness) about Kulusevski: “He isn’t available. Dejan is still undergoing rehabilitation. He takes it step by step. First he has to be involved with Tottenham, and they’re the ones in charge in the end.
“They see him every day and can make the best decision. When he’s not involved there, it’s hard for us to take him out – even if we want to.
“Dejan is a top player, but we understand and respect the situation he is in. He’s not far away, but when you’ve been away for so long, it’s important to be careful with the final stage of rehabilitation.”
Roberto De Zerbi is feeling positive about Kulusevski
Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s clash against Everton last week, De Zerbi admitted that Kulusevski is making good progress and praised the work of the Spurs medical staff.
The Italian also admitted that he is looking forward to having the former Juventus star back in his squad.
He said: “Kulusevski started with us at the beginning of the week, and then for the last two days, a small, small problem stopped, but I think he’s in a good way. It’s going very well.
“I already said the medical staff is very high level. So I think we can be positive with him. I’m looking forward to having Deki in the squad.
When asked if the small problem would keep Kulusevski out of training for long, De Zerbi said: “No, no. Nothing of importance.”
However, given how long Kulusevski has been out for, Spurs fans will likely have to temper their expectations as it may take a while for the 26-year-old to get used to the demands of Premier League football and return to his best.