Dejan Kulusevski has allayed fresh concerns over his long-term knee issue by insisting it is “great now”, a major boost to Tottenham Hotspur in their relegation fight.
The winger has not featured for Spurs since last May after suffering an injury to his right patella, which forced him to sit out of the Europa League final success.
The Swede underwent surgery and was expected to return in December. However, a string of setbacks has delayed his recovery process, and he remains on the treatment table.
Worrying images of him seemingly limping while on international duty with Sweden earlier this week sounded the alarm bells in N17, but he has now provided clarification.
Kulusevski’s positive injury update will be warmly received at Tottenham ahead of a make-or-break run of fixtures, and his club have certainly missed him.
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What has Dejan Kulusevski said about his injury?
The 25-year-old directly addressed the footage of him walking gingerly in Sweden’s training camp, revealing he had recently gone under the knife for a second corrective procedure.
Writing on his Instagram story, Kulusevski said: “Just to clarify things. I’m limping because I had a small intervention in the knee two weeks ago.
“Went in and took out what was not supposed to be there. Knee is great now.
“Thanks for all the support. God is the greatest. Always.”
Earlier this month, Spurs interim head coach Igor Tudor admitted there was no new update on Kulusevski’s recovery, suggesting he will not be available before the end of the season.
He has scored 25 goals and registered 30 assists in his 146 appearances for the club since joining from Juventus in January 2022, and quickly became a crucial player.
Clearly, then, Kulusevski limping was the last thing Tottenham needed.
How important is Kulusevski to Tottenham?
Kulusevski was influential last season before it was cruelly cut short by injury.
According to Sofascore, he scored seven goals, provided four assists and completed 81 per cent of his passes in the Premier League, dazzling in a miserable domestic campaign.
But a glimpse at his overall time at North London shows an impressive consistency, a lofty benchmark which Tottenham have painfully fallen short of yet again this term.
In his maiden campaign at Spurs, Kulusevski scored five goals from his 10 shots on target across 20 appearances, and also recorded eight assists.
While his goal contributions dropped in 2022-23, he again boasted eight assists to his name. Then, in 23-24, he netted eight times in all competitions while making 66 key passes.
He earned an average Sofascore rating of just below seven last season, but his team-mates have barely performed to the same standard this time out, resulting in a relegation dogfight.
They will hope that he makes a miraculous return sooner rather than later.