Dejan Kulusevski last played a match for Tottenham Hotspur on May 11th. The 25-year-old injured his right patella and there’s been uncertainty about his return date since day one.
After what has obviously been a serious injury, the midfielder and those around him don’t want to rush things. At the beginning of September, Kulusevski spoke to the Swedish media about his recovery process.
The Tottenham gave a rough timeline: “The status is good. The rehab is going well. Every day I wake up with the same hunger and even more hunger with each passing day. The status is very good, and I will be on a football pitch in the very, very near future.
“If everything goes as it should, as it has so far, I am very confident that I will be on the pitch in two to three months.”
That timeframe, from September 6th, would take the Spurs man to early November or December. That’s been and gone and unfortunately an imminent return isn’t on the cards for Kulusevski.
Sweden face Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier on March 26th. Should they be victorious then it’ll be a straight battle against the winners of Poland versus Albania for a place at the tournament.
Graham Potter, who took over the national team in October, has appeared on a Fotbollskanalen podcast. Naturally he asked about Kulusevski and his availability for those matches.
Tottenham player desperate to help
The manager explained how difficult the injury has been: “I met Dejan last week, as I’m aware he’s fighting back from his injury. I had a good conversation with him.
“He really has had a complicated injury. That’s the truth. He’s on his way back and he’s in a good place, but when you’re close you can have setbacks and you can have frustrating days when things don’t go the way you want because it’s a long process. He’s in good spirits and in a good place, and desperate to come back and help.”
Asked straight out if the Tottenham player will be ready for March, Potter replied: “He is desperate to be included.
I’m convinced of that (that Kulusevski will be in March). That’s my feeling based on having spoken to him and understanding where he is. I think that’s the last part of the rehabilitation that he needs to go through.
“My experience when someone has been out for a long time is that it can be a bit up and down and frustrating, but he’s in a good place. I think the problem with football – and looking ahead to March – is that nobody knows for sure where he’s going to be. If you can predict that, you’re a genius. It’s about being patient with him and supporting him. I’m confident he’ll be there.”
Such is Dejan Kulusevski’s importance for Sweden, both on the pitch and as a leader off it, he’ll likely join the play-off group whether fit or not. On multiple occasions since his injury, the Tottenham player has popped up during international breaks to show support.