Dejan Kulusevski criticises Tottenham’s handling of his lengthy injury absence

Dejan Kulusevski said he was disappointed with some people during his absence from Tottenham with a knee injury, but added that he had moved on and loved being at the club. The Swedish midfielder returned to action after 526 days out, having missed the entire 2025/26 season.

Kulusevski explained that the recovery journey had seemed impossible at times, and that he feared he might not be able to play again. He said the injury involved cartilage damage, and that the first attempts at treatment had not worked, leading him to undergo another operation and discuss the possibility of a knee transplant before deciding to continue training and playing despite the pain.

He added that his injury occurred following a challenge with Marc Guéhi, and that Tottenham had not commented on the matter. The club had restructured its medical department over the summer after serious knee injuries affected Kulusevski, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons.

Sweden manager Graham Potter said the national team was in contact with Tottenham about Kulusevski’s involvement, noting that the player had only made substitute appearances for his club this season and that the most important thing was having him with the national team.