Eastern Daily Press

Kulusevski has not featured in a competitive fixture for more than 500 days after an issue described as a knock at the end of the 2024-25 campaign turned into a knee problem which put his career in jeopardy.

However, with Kulusevski able to resume full training again last month, the Press Association understands the Sweden international has recently taken part in an 11-v-11 match for Spurs against an academy XI at the club’s Hotspur Way training ground.

This is the latest positive development for the 26-year-old on a long road to recovery and pushes him closer towards a place again in Tottenham’s matchday squad, which could even occur at Manchester United on Saturday.

Boss Roberto De Zerbi admitted Kulusevski’s return would be like a “new signing” three weeks ago but made clear the club must “manage Deki in the best way we can” after a 17-month absence.

A fresh update on Kulusevski’s availability will be provided by De Zerbi at Friday’s press conference.

An innocuous clash of knees with Marc Guehi during a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace on May 11, 2025 started Kulusevski’s injury nightmare.

The initial concern was whether the versatile attacker would make the club’s Europa League final but the immediate description of “just a knock” by Ange Postecoglou, the Spurs boss at the time, after a brief chat with medical staff proved wide of the mark.

A patella issue in Kulusevski’s right knee was discovered and he underwent surgery soon after but hopes of a return during the opening months of the 2025-26 season were wiped out when his injury was labelled a “longer one” by Postecoglou’s replacement Thomas Frank.

Frank later stated there was a “good chance” that Kulusevski would return by the end of 2025 but with pain still present, the next course of action was an injection at the end of December which failed to have the desired effect.

Described as a “complicated injury” by Frank on January 8, he suggested a timeline for Kulusevski would be more clear once the knee had “settled” weeks after the injection.

Yet, with Kulusevski still no closer to a return, an appointment with a knee specialist in February acted as the catalyst for light at the end of the tunnel with a crucial minor arthroscopic procedure undertaken in March.

Kulusevski said at the time on Instagram: “It was really positive that I did this little procedure and that we were able to find the problem. Now everything should be solved.”

Kulusevski’s first full training session with Tottenham in almost 16 months occurred at the end of August and although he was then taken out of action for a small period, he resumed work with De Zerbi’s squad again last month.

After Kulusevski played his first match in 17 months during this international break, all eyes are on if he will join Spurs at Old Trafford.

Spurs have turned to experienced Croatian coach Tudor to steer them away from Premier League relegation concerns after Thomas Frank was dismissed earlier this month following a run of two wins in 17 league fixtures.

It has left Tottenham in a precarious position and Lange faced the UK media in a roundtable setting for the first time on Friday. The Danish director accepted responsibility for the current state of the squad but declined to discuss the club’s managerial search.

Asked if former boss Mauricio Pochettino would be on a summer shortlist, Lange said: “Igor has been here for five days. That is our focus and I am not going to comment on any names that have been linked to the job.

“Our focus right now, as I said, is to get high up in the table in the league, focusing on the Champions League as well. That is our focus right now and I am sure you can understand that.”

Lange did confirm that a manager with a possession-based style of play will be targeted in the summer after Frank failed to truly win over Spurs’ fanbase with a pragmatic and direct brand of football.

“It is definitely something high up on the list,” Lange acknowledged.

“We are very ambitious to create a team that can play dominant football and that can control the matches with the ball for a few reasons. If you look across almost every league in the world, that is how you can say the top teams normally are successful.

“Then we are also a club with a rich history of having some of the best offensive players in the world and having a very particular style of play that resonates with the history, resonates with the fans.

“And I think that combined with having a possession-dominant, aggressive style of play, those two things go hand in hand. Of course that is something that is important for us here at the club.”

During a 20-minute conversation inside Tottenham’s Hotspur Way training ground, Lange admitted results “over a period” meant the club ended Frank’s tenure after 38 matches.

“Of course it was a board decision, but we made the decision and that was why we decided it was the right time to change,” Lange explained.

The decision to turn to Tudor has raised eyebrows with plenty of former players quick to point out the lack of Premier League experience of the 47-year-old.

Tudor also has past links to Fabio Paratici, who left his role as co-sporting director at Spurs at the start of February.

Yet Lange insisted: “Fabio stopped working here at the beginning of February and it’s us who are working here who make the decision.

“Who we spoke to…people that Igor worked with in the past, be it executives, be it players, etc, we like to keep confidential.”

And the 47-year-old former Juventus boss, brought in last week as the sacked Thomas Frank’s replacement until the end of the season, believes instilling the players with confidence is his most important task.

Tudor told Spursplay: “First priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments. The team need, I believe, first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also, in same way, the concrete things in the pitch.

“Of course, I’m coming here knowing that situation is not easy. There is no time to find excuses. What I said from the first day here, each of us, need to give something something more, something extra.”

Frank was sacked last Wednesday after eight months in charge following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle, which extended the north London club’s winless top-flight run to eight matches.

The club have slumped to 16th place, five points above the relegation zone, and Tudor faces a tough mission in his first game in charge, against title-chasing Arsenal at home on Sunday.

“The position of the club in this moment is one that nobody can accept,” Tudor said. “Every Tottenham fan cannot accept the situation. We are aware of that. But it’s not enough to just be aware of that.

“The situation is not easy because we have a lot of injured players, so we need first to find the best system to suit the players that are available in this moment.

“Maybe this can sound strange, but I believe that the thing that we need to be focused on is the training. So the training from today, that’s the key.

“The coach needs to show the path, where is the way we want to go, how we want to go, and the players need to accept this.”

Tudor, sacked by Juventus in October last year after an eight-game winless run, stressed he was aware of the club’s culture and the fans’ demand for a stylish brand of winning football.

He added: “I believe in the style. The style is more important than the system, of course. So every club has its particularity. That is first as a culture of the club, which kind of football they like.

“So it’s always important to think about that, but in the same way, not forget who I am, what I want, what the team can achieve.

“So I need to be, with my staff, very intelligent to find the best possible way in a very short time.”

Spurs dismissed Thomas Frank on Wednesday after a dismal display in a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle a day earlier left the club in 16th position and only five points above the Premier League relegation zone.

Frank departed after seven months, but following a run of two wins in 17 league fixtures and an overall record of only 13 victories during his 38-game tenure.

Press Association understands Tottenham’s players have been given time off until Monday due to the club being without a weekend match after their FA Cup exit in January.

After the dismissal of Frank, Spurs are set to appoint an interim head coach rather than attempt to bring in a permanent manager for the final three months of the 2025-26 campaign.

The club will look to recruit an experienced head coach with a track record for getting an instant impact for the interim role before this summer they select from a wider pool of candidates, which will include former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino after his United States commitments at the World Cup.

Marco Rose, formerly of RB Leipzig, and ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic have been reported as candidates for an interim role and Spurs would consider the interim head coach for a permanent position if their short spell is deemed to be successful.

Tottenham’s next fixture is a north London derby at home to rivals Arsenal on February 22.

The Wales international, 24, has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at Selhurst Park.

Johnson, who fell out of favour under Thomas Frank at Spurs, despite being the north London club’s top scorer last season, is set to make his debut for Palace in their Premier League match against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Sunday.

“I’m really excited and I’m really happy,” said Johnson. “Crystal Palace are such a great club, one that I’ve always admired.

“It’s a great time for me to be here and join the journey that this club is on.”

Palace manager Oliver Glasner said: “I’m really delighted that Brennan has joined the club.

“He arrives very early in the window, so credit to the club for making this happen so quickly.

“Brennan will give us options in our attacking play with his pace and goalscoring ability and with all the upcoming games he will be a valuable addition to the squad.”

Johnson finished with 18 goals last season and produced the winner in the Europa League final against Manchester United to end Tottenham’s 17-year wait for silverware.

However, he has largely been a back-up to summer recruit Mohammed Kudus since Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou.

Johnson was a notable absentee from Tottenham’s squad in their goalless draw with Brentford on New Year’s Day, with his switch to Palace announced less than 24 hours later.

The transfer will come as a huge boost to Glasner who said his threadbare side were in “survival mode” following a 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Palace’s modest squad have struggled to deal with an intense fixture list this season following their involvement in the Conference League after winning last season’s FA Cup.

Their match against Fulham was already their 31st of the season so far, and Glasner said he had only 14 first-team players available.

Johnson’s arrival will sprinkle some stardust on the south Londoners, and is Palace’s first major investment since they sold Eberechi Eze to Arsenal for £60m in August.

Palace chairman Steve Parish said: “I’m delighted that Brennan has joined us – an exciting young talent with an excellent recent record in domestic, continental and international football.

“We feel we are the perfect place for Brennan to continue his already impressive journey, and his arrival bolsters our attacking options in what is proving our busiest season to date, competing on numerous fronts including, for the first time, in Europe.”

Palace, 10th in the table, travel to Newcastle on Sunday eager to end a six-match winless run.

Spurs fans had started to turn on Frank after a run of five defeats in eight left them 14th in the Premier League on Christmas Day.

While there had been no suggestions internally that Frank’s job was under immediate threat, Tottenham needed to return to winning ways and Gray’s 42nd-minute header settled the contest between the current FA Cup and Europa League holders.

“I really liked the desire, details, mentality in the team and the character and resilience of the team is something I spoke about a lot,” Frank reflected.

“That is so important that we have that resilience in the team, because in a long Premier League season, you need to go to a very difficult away ground here and fight and show character. To get a clean sheet, win 1-0, that was a massive win in many ways.

“Was it a top performance? No. Are there things we can improve? Yes. But to go here, with the season having been a little bit up and down, I think it’s a huge mentality effort from the players.”

Gray was the unlikely match-winner after he opened his account for Spurs on his 60th appearance with a close-range header, which marked his first professional goal at the 112th time of asking.

Frank has backed the 19-year-old in recent weeks – even after an error in a recent 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest – and was delighted to see his faith rewarded.

He added: “I think Archie is growing. He showed why he has a very good potential in many ways. I think it’s another fine performance overall.

“Talking about resilience, he made a mistake in the Nottingham game, played another good game against Liverpool, growing as a young man. He was alert. I loved that goal, because he was alert, he was seeing where the ball will land and he was ready on it.”

Gray’s effort occurred against the run of play with Palace dominant in the first half, but Jean-Philippe Mateta sent two efforts off target and Will Hughes failed to test Guglielmo Vicario from another opening.

The pattern continued into the second half with Justin Devenny only able to fire over before Maxence Lacroix headed wide, but Palace ran out of steam and Tottenham finished strong.

Spurs were only denied another after VAR cut short Richarlison’s celebrations for offside in the 75th minute and substitute Wilson Odobert smashed against the post late on, but it finished 1-0.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner acknowledged: “It’s again a performance where both teams, I think you shouldn’t lose.

“Creating enough to score goals, but miss all our chances and get punished by a corner and a set-play. It shows exactly what we have to improve.

“I can’t remember – and you all watch longer than me – that a Crystal Palace side dominate a Tottenham side like we did, but then leaving the pitch with a defeat, it makes it frustrating for all our players.”

Spurs fans had started to turn on Frank after a run of five defeats in eight left them 14th in the Premier League on Christmas Day.

While there had been no suggestions internally that Frank’s job was under immediate threat, Tottenham needed to return to winning ways and Gray’s 42nd-minute header settled the contest between the current FA Cup and Europa League holders.

It moved Spurs up to 11th but crucially they are only four points off fifth-placed Chelsea ahead of Frank’s return to old club Brentford on Wednesday.

Oliver Glasner watched his weary Palace team lose a third consecutive league game to further highlight the need for January reinforcements.

Both clubs had celebrated eagerly-awaited cup wins in May but Spurs were without one of their heroes from Bilbao with Cristian Romero suspended.

Kevin Danso replaced Romero and received a late Christmas present in the shape of a yellow card from referee Jarred Gillett after five minutes as Palace made the early running.

Chances remained limited, though, and Tottenham thought they had taken the lead in the 17th minute through Richarlison only for their celebrations to be cut short after Lucas Bergvall was deemed offside in the build-up.

Jean-Philippe Mateta signalled his intentions with an effort dragged wide from 20 yards soon after before a short free-kick routine created another chance for Palace’s number nine but he nodded over from Maxence Lacroix’s header.

Justin Devenny and Adam Wharton tested Guglielmo Vicario with tame efforts before Will Hughes curled wide after a slick move by the hosts.

It appeared a matter of time before Palace broke the deadlock but Spurs struck against the run of play in the 42nd minute.

After Randal Kolo Muani’s blocked shot forced a corner, Pedro Porro’s delivery to the back post was kept alive by Kolo Muani and then flicked on by Richarlison for Gray to head home from close-range to open his account for Tottenham.

Spurs’ slender half-time lead was immediately under threat as stand-in away captain Micky van de Ven blocked Yeremy Pino’s volley before an even better opportunity was created.

Pino produced a sumptuous outside-of-the-boot cross which was knocked down by Nathaniel Clyne but Devenny fired over on the turn.

Glasner turned to his bench with Eddie Nketiah introduced and another Palace chance was squandered with 20 minutes left when Jefferson Lerma teed up Lacroix but he sent his header wide.

Five minutes later and Tottenham had the ball in the net again through Richarlison after a wonderful Mohammed Kudus cross only for VAR to deny the visitors again as the Brazil forward was marginally offside.

Palace captain Marc Guehi went close next after he headed over but no grand finale occurred as Spurs defended resolutely, with substitute Wilson Odobert unlucky to hit the inside of the post from range before Dean Henderson denied Rodrigo Bentancur as it finished 1-0.

Frank watched Spurs suffer a third consecutive defeat in a horror week after they conceded twice in the first six minutes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the second following a moment of madness by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

An early strike by Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson’s sublime lob put Frank’s team immediately on the back foot and, despite Mohammed Kudus’ 59th-minute effort, Tottenham slumped to their fourth defeat in six Premier League games.

This latest bad result extended an awful run of results at home, with Spurs only winning three of their last 21 home league matches.

Those statistics, combined with a string of toothless attacking displays, mean Frank has plenty of questions to answer going into December, with scrutiny growing.

A spirited display in defeat at Paris St Germain on Wednesday had earned Frank some credit after the derby hammering by Arsenal where fans were scathing of his tactics.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall provided green shoots of encouragement in Paris and Frank trusted the 19-year-old duo in what felt a significant fixture.

Yet before the highly-rated pair had even had time to make a handful of passes, Tottenham were 2-0 down in shambolic fashion.

Fulham broke the deadlock in the fourth minute when, within seconds of a poor header by Kevin Danso, the excellent Samuel Chukwueze cut inside from the left and picked out Tete, who had an 18-yard shot deflected beyond Vicario by Spurs’ Destiny Udogie.

Tottenham were stunned but 136 second later conceded again in a moment to forget for Vicario.

The keeper rushed out to intercept Joachim Andersen’s pass ahead of Raul Jimenez, but instead of knocking the ball out for a throw, he inexplicably cleared it infield and Joshua King teed up Wilson to curl home wonderfully.

It was a sensational 40-yard lob by Wilson, but Vicario’s comical error saw him heavily booed straight after by the home fans.

Chukwueze curled against a post moments later before Danso had to block a shot by Wilson.

Tottenham’s lop-sided 4-2-3-1 formation with no left forward continued to struggle to create chances and only a superb tackle by stand-in captain Micky van de Ven prevented another Fulham goal as he slid in to thwart Chukwueze, who had rounded Vicario after Pedro Porro’s lapse in concentration.

It was masterful defending by Van de Ven but did not stop loud boos at half-time and, despite no changes by Frank, Spurs returned with much-needed attacking intent.

Randal Kolo Muani had an effort blocked seconds into the second period before a succession of promising openings ended with a poor Tottenham delivery.

When Porro did finally produce a quality cross, Kolo Muani sent his 57th-minute header into the side-netting.

Spurs finally had momentum, though, and the deficit was reduced with 31 minutes left when Bergvall chipped into the path of Kudus and he lashed into the top corner.

Frank immediately sent on Rodrigo Bentancur, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons and the latter had a shot deflected over by Andersen as Tottenham pushed for a leveller.

The equaliser nearly arrived in the 67th minute when Bergvall flicked on Kudus’ corner, but Jimenez brilliantly headed clear and there was no grandstand finish, with Kolo Muani sending a backheel wide as Spurs lost again at home.

Spurs are without a Premier League home win since the opening day and have claimed victory in only four of their nine matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all competitions this season.

It places extra significance on the battle with Fulham, and after a humbling 4-1 loss at rivals Arsenal last Sunday, the performance of Bergvall and Gray in a spirited 5-3 defeat away to Paris St Germain in the Champions League has provided food for thought for Frank.

Gray, 19, has only featured in two league games this season whilst Bergvall has started five times in the Premier League, with the experienced duo of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur often preferred in midfield.

However, with a lack of creative spark a longstanding issue during Frank’s short reign, the bravery and dynamism of both Gray and Bergvall on Wednesday showed a potential blueprint to help the Danish coach land on the right formula at Spurs.

Asked if he had any hesitation about starting them together against Fulham, Frank replied: “Absolutely not.

“I think if you perform like they did against the European champions away from home, I think you’re ready to start in the Premier League.”

Frank used a 4-2-2-2 formation in Paris with Gray alongside Bentancur in the double pivot and Bergvall further forward, but summer additions Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons were only on the bench.

Quizzed on whether that formation could work in a home game, Frank said: “I liked a lot of the intensity and aggressivity in the pressure. I liked the forwardness and the running forward, playing forward.

“We played four midfielders across the midfield. That could be for some games. It could also be different for some games. I think it’s fair to say it’s one game away to Paris and it’s a different game for Fulham.

“Everything is possible but I think it depends on the opponent. It depends on the type of game.”

Frank has shuffled his pack in an attempt to balance freshness with a congested fixture list along with working out the basis of his strongest line-up.

Yet, he must solve the conundrum of Tottenham’s attack and with only three wins in 12 fixtures, the 52-year-old is acutely aware decisions taken with the long-term in mind must be married up with short-term success.

“The challenge that we are facing, that we are embracing, is that away to Arsenal, three days later away to PSG, three days later home to Fulham, three days later away to Newcastle,” Frank smiled.

“So, how can we find that perfect balance of energy, intensity, freshness and the right structure and relationship on the pitch? So that’s a nice coaching challenge.

“We said from the beginning when I walked in the club, every decision I take is to do everything I can to win the next game, but it’s for the long run. If you can’t build something that lasts, it doesn’t matter.”

The Paris St Germain loanee suffered a blow to his jaw in Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Manchester United on November 8 and subsequently missed international duty with France.

He joined a lengthy injury list for Tottenham, but Frank provided positive updates on a number of players and Kolo Muani can unexpectedly play after he was fitted with a protective mask in order to train this week.

“Pape (Sarr) trained today, ready and available. Lucas (Bergvall) trained today and is available. Kolo Muani, yes trained today, available – of course he has a mask he needs to play with,” Frank revealed.

Defenders Ben Davies and Kota Takai also returned to training this week and centre-back Radu Dragusin took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly earlier this month to step up his recovery after he sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage in January.

Archie Gray is another back and Mohammed Kudus, who missed international duty with Ghana, has also returned to training in a further boost for Frank.

James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined along with Dominic Solanke, who has not featured since August 23 and had minor surgery on his ankle last month.

Frank added: “Dom is not ready yet. We are very aware that when we put him out there, we want to be as sure as we can that there will be no setback going forward. I am comfortable he will soon be ready.”

Ex-Brentford boss Frank has only one win in nine competitive meetings with Arsenal, but did get the better of Mikel Arteta’s men in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong in July.

“Yeah this is the real one. Super excited. Of course before I stepped into the club I knew about the north London derby, but it’s when you’re in it, you sense it and feel that this is important,” Frank said.

“You feel it from the fans, you feel it from the staff members, the players, the people that have been working here for years. This is the big one.

“I always say the next game is the most important game, I always have that, but I’m very, very, very aware there’s two games in a year that’s even more important and this is the first of them.

“We’re ready, we’re up for it, we’re looking forward to it and we’ll do everything we can to win.”

A big focus ahead of Sunday’s match at the Emirates will be on the club’s two set-piece coaches and Arsenal’s Nicolas Jover started under Frank at Brentford, which was also the case for Spurs’ Andreas Georgson.

“Well, it is very simple. I educated both of them at Brentford,” Frank smiled.

“I think maybe some of it is the bit we did at Brentford where we really laser-focused on it and used a lot of time to excel to a high level.”