The Tottenham Hotspur attacker has been out of action for more than a year and now more information about the injury has come to light
15:08, 28 May 2026Updated 15:21, 28 May 2026
Dejan Kulusevski is yet to return to action for Tottenham Hotspur after his complicated knee injury
Sweden’s national team doctor has gone into detail about Dejan Kulusevski injury and the “troublesome” nature of it but has high hopes that the Tottenham star will return to football.
The 26-year-old suffered a patella injury in his right knee after a challenge from then Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi in May 2025. The Swede underwent surgery and a later clean-up procedure this year as he suffered setbacks in his attempts to come back to training at Hotspur Way during this season as he felt discomfort in his knee.
Kulusevski made it clear that he would be fit for the World Cup but found out, on the year anniversary of his injury, that Graham Potter had not selected him in his squad for the tournament across the Atlantic this summer. The attacker returned from his rehabilitation abroad last weekend to be on the sidelines for Tottenham’s 1-0 win against Everton under Roberto De Zerbi which saved the club’s Premier League status.
Now Sweden’s national team doctor Jonas Werner has been speaking at a press conference ahead of the World Cup and said that he has been in continuous contact with Kulusevski and Tottenham’s medical team.
“It’s been a long story with Dejan. He’s done everything he can to get ready, but when it came to deciding [if he would make the squad] he wasn’t,” said Werner.
“The reason is that he hasn’t played football in a year, but even the medical assessments made this spring have pointed in the direction that he wouldn’t be ready.”
Werner went into more depth about the problem that Kulusevski faces with his knee.
“Cartilage injuries, like in Dejan’s case, are troublesome. They are difficult to treat. Plus, he has it in a place that gets a lot of stress. The injury simply hasn’t healed enough to handle that stress,” he explained.
When asked if the Spurs man will be able to come back and play football again, the doctor said: “I have high hopes for that and I really hope so.”
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This week Kulusevski posted a collection of images on Instagram, including him working in the gym, with the message: “If you were God and could dream any life you wanted, you’d begin with the most ecstatic adventures. But eventually, you’d crave surprise. You’d crave uncertainty. You’d dream the dream of not knowing what happens next — and that is the dream you’re living right now.
“Not the year I expected, but I keep fighting every day and holding on to the moment I get to do what I love most again.”
Sweden boss Potter had previously appeared to suggest his hope that Kulusevski could be back in action in time for Tottenham’s return to Premier League action in August when naming his World Cup squad.
“I think we have to think about what is right for the team, that’s important but also Dejan is in a place where he has had a long fight and he is making progress,” the former Chelsea and Brighton coach said earlier this month.
“I think it’s important now that this time he can really focus on getting himself ready for the start of the season. Dejan is at a stage where his rehab is so important and he has made some progress.
“I think the aim for him would be to start the next season with Tottenham, hit the ground running and to get back on the pitch and do the thing he loves. I think we have to be careful about that and ultimately that is the priority for him.”