Dejan Kulusevski's injury timeline should all become clear on Wednesday evening when Ange Postecoglou takes his seat in front of the assembled media. Facing AZ Alkmaar 24 hours later in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie, the Spurs boss will preview the game and also issue an injury update.
Spurs have received a boost going into the European showdown in Alkmaar with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke all taking part in first-team training at Hotspur Way. However, Kulusevski may now take his place in the treatment room due to a foot injury.
The Swede uploaded a photo to his Instagram account on Tuesday and a protective boot was visible on his left foot. In a season where the north London club have had to deal with a host of different injuries, Kulusevski has been a constant in the team and featured in every single Spurs match in the 2024/25 campaign up until now.
That proud run looks set to come to an end and it's not exactly clear yet when he will be back on the pitch for Spurs. One thing for certain is that a break away from first-team action will allow him to return to full fitness after his recent comments about playing when not in an ideal state.
"It's difficult, of course, because first of all, it’s too many games. You go out and play some games where you feel 40-50%, and that’s not how it’s supposed to be," he said in an interview with Sky Sports.
"But then also, like you said, if you have injuries and you don’t have enough players, then it really gets difficult. So, of course, it’s annoying because, in the end, you just want to play football on normal terms, you know? But you can’t do that, so you just try to do your best, and you try to use your brain more.
"Like I said before, when I notice that I can’t run up the field like I want every game, then I need to stop and start thinking more. Maybe I can save my energy here. Maybe I can try to keep the ball much more in this situation. So, you start to use your brain to keep energy."
Kulusevski has been Tottenham's standout player this season and his absence will be felt heading into some important games. Had he sustained an injury a month or two ago it potentially would have been disastrous for Postecoglou and his side.
Things have started to ease up on the injury front for Tottenham and that means the head coach does have plenty of Kulusevski alternatives to choose from, starting against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night. The Stockholm-born player's versatility has proved vital for Postecoglou this campaign and he has been utilised in a midfield three or the right of Tottenham's attack.
In terms of midfield, Spurs now have James Maddison available for selection once again and he has excelled since his return against Manchester United last month. Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall appear to be in Postecoglou's preferred midfield trio but there is also Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma to consider.
If it isn't to be a trio of Bentancur, Bergvall and Maddison lining up at AFAS Stadion this week, Sarr could be a contender to come in after making a big impact in the competition so far. Tottenham may not have Kulusevski as an option on the right-wing on Thursday night but Postecoglou has choice there right now.
Brennan Johnson returned against Manchester United and hit a double in his following game away at Ipswich Town, Wilson Odobert, who was bright on the left last Wednesday at home to Manchester City, can play from the right side and Mathys Tel has played there for Bayern Munich previously. There is also Mikey Moore to consider if the Australian wants to opt for the youthful exuberance of the 17-year-old.
Kulusevski will be a miss for Tottenham but Postecoglou has choice in both midfield and attack to replace the 24-year-old. Things are certainly better for Spurs in terms of injuries and the hope will be that their main man isn't out for too long as they eye up a strong end to the campaign and Europa League glory to go with it.
Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.