Tottenham 'magician' undergoes surgery in mammoth blow for Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou is set to be without midfielder Dejan Kulusevski for the rest of the season.

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has undergone surgery for a patella injury picked up in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were humbled by their London rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that bitter taste of a 20th Premier League defeat is compounded by news that Kulusevski’s knock is more serious than confirmed.

The versatile midfielder hobbled off after just 19 minutes against the Eagles but Postecoglou had played down the severity of that problem. Spurs face Aston Villa in league action this week, but have little to play for in the division, with all eyes on the Europa League final in Bilbao next week.

Dejan Kulusevski undergoes surgery on injury

Postecoglou could turn a thoroughly underwhelming season into an unforgettable one should the London outfit get its hands on silverware but he will likely have to do that without Kulusevski. A club statement shared via social media platform X read: “We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend. Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately. We're all with you, Deki.”

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.

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.”

Tottenham midfielder labelled ‘magician’ by Chelsea legend

Kulusevski has earned plaudits for his tenacity this season. Former Premier League duo Joe Cole and Peter Crouch complimented the star after back-to-back strong showings against Manchester City in the league and then Roma in the Europa League.

Speaking in November, Cole told TNT Sports: "He's a magician. He's such a good player. Tottenham are going to score so many goals with those two [Kulusevski and Johnson] combining this season.

“The reason he's getting the nod over Maddison [is] off the ball, he's very good. He sets the press, but I think you can get both of them in the side. Players who can handle the ball – technicians, technicians, technicians – especially the way Ange Postecoglou plays, those players can be so exciting."

Crouch added: "He's in that deeper position, and it might frustrate Maddison because you probably can't play both of them there. But in this central area, he's got more of a free role, and he can run and get behind people. He's so good in these areas.

"He's not blessed with tremendous pace, but the way he moves, he can run all day, the way he creates and gets out of tight positions, and his intelligence is wonderful to watch. He's playing with so much confidence."

In other news, Jonathan David makes announcement amid Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham links.