Dejan Kulusevski is poised for a Tottenham Hotspur squad return on Monday after 526 days out with a catastrophic knee injury. The Swedish winger's potential comeback offers a rare positive for a side sitting rock bottom of the Premier League with just three points from six games.
His ordeal began in May 2025 when he limped off against Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Then-manager Ange Postecoglou infamously called it "just a knock" post-match, but the reality was a serious kneecap injury that required surgery. Kulusevski missed the entire subsequent season, a summer World Cup, and the club's pre-season tour, attending the 2025 Europa League final on crutches.
A gruelling recovery path
Initial forecasts pointed to a December 2025 return, but pain resurfaced when he stepped up ball work. Spurs tried injections in January before a 'small intervention' to clean the joint in March further delayed his progress. Throughout a period that saw the club cycle through four managers, Kulusevski maintained a relentless rehabilitation drive, inspired by former mentors like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.
His wife, former Bosnia international Eldina, captured the struggle in a social media letter the day he returned to full training. "They said you might never play again," she wrote. "They obviously don't know who you are."
Family support was constant. His father, Stefan, worked long night shifts driving airport buses without complaint, while his mother, Katica, famously urged him to return home to Sweden during tough early days in Italy. "Giving up is what everybody does, and you can't do what everybody does," Kulusevski once said. "I just had to dig it out."
A boost for a struggling side
His return comes at a critical time. Roberto De Zerbi's team is the only one in the division without a win this season, having scored just three league goals. They host 16th-placed Coventry City next, desperately seeking a first victory. The squad's recent fixtures have yielded a frustrating run of form, with three draws and two losses in their last five outings, including a 1-1 draw at Manchester United last time out.
Kulusevski took a significant step by playing in an internal 11-v-11 game during the international break, facing a mix of Under-18 and Under-21 players. Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari, engaged to Kulusevski's sister, recently praised his resilience. "It's incredible how strong he's been on this journey," Ayari said. "Not many people can wake up and keep fighting after going through this much."
Before his injury, Kulusevski was thriving in Postecoglou's system, delivering a standout performance in a 4-0 win at Manchester City. Spurs have lacked his creative spark on the right flank ever since. While his minutes against Coventry are likely to be managed, his mere presence on the bench represents a monumental personal victory and a potential catalyst for a team 18 points adrift of the summit. Tottenham's next match is at home to Coventry City on Monday night.
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