Spurs could be forced to take on Manchester United in the Europa League final without the services of Dejan Kulusevksi.
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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dejan Kulusevski is absent from training again on Tuesday after picking up a knock in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
The 25-year-old had only just returned from a fitness concern and the severity of that problem had been played down by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou. Kulusevski was expected to return to training on Tuesday but Sky Sports are at the training ground and report that the midfielder is not present.
Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill said: “I’m afraid it’s not good because he isn’t out there training with the rest of the players, doing their warm-ups of course ahead of this game against Aston Villa. We saw him limp off against Crystal Palace early on after coming back from another injury setback. It was a knee injury, ‘not too serious’ Ange Postecoglou said in his news conference on Monday.
Dejan Kulusevski injury update as midfielder misses Spurs training
“Kulusevski didn’t train on Monday because it was sore and they were waiting for that soreness to go down to assess the situation. There were high hopes that he would be out here today with the rest of the squad ahead of this massive game a week today in Bilbao. I spoke to him as he left the stadium on Sunday, he had a bit of a limp but it wasn’t too bad. I asked him three times whether or not he would be available for Bilbao, for that Champions League play-off, for that Europa League final. He said three times that, ‘yes’ he would be.
“We still think it’s not serious but obviously not in contention at the moment for selection for that match at Villa Park on Friday.”
Kulusevski has been a key player for Postecoglou and Spurs this season, his versatility an asset when the squad has been blighted by injury worries. The Swede has racked up 50 appearances across all competitions with 10 goals and 11 assists.
The player, who picked up an assist against Bodo/Glimt in the second leg last week, missed seven matches with a foot injury in March and April. He lasted just 19 minutes against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur blow comes in Manchester United and Aston Villa boost
It’s a big blow for Spurs as the season comes to an end. Postecoglou has little on the line for the trip to Villa Park on Friday night but it’s all to play for in Bilbao with the chance of winning silverware against Manchester United next week.
The absence of Kulusevski is a boost for the Villains, who are still wrapped up in the race for Champions League football and need three points against Tottenham Hotspur. It’s also good news for Manchester United ahead of that Europa League final with Spurs potentially arriving in Spain without a key star.
Speaking after the Crystal Palace match, Postecoglou had said: “He should be okay, just talking to him after. The medical team are not too concerned with him, more of a knock than anything else, so we're hoping he should be okay.”
In other news, European giants 'want' Tottenham star who is open to move after managerial change.