Dejan Kulusevski ‘very close’ to Tottenham return after long injury nightmare

Tottenham Hotspur have received a major injury boost with Sweden manager Graham Potter revealing Dejan Kulusevski is “very close” to returning.

The 26-year-old has not played competitively since Tottenham’s defeat to Crystal Palace in May 2025.

Kulusevski initially underwent knee surgery later that month, ruling him out of Tottenham’s Europa League final victory over Manchester United and subsequently the World Cup.

His recovery has suffered several setbacks since then, including another operation earlier this year.

There is now considerably more optimism surrounding the Sweden international.

Kulusevski returned to full Tottenham training earlier this month and Potter has been impressed by how he has handled such a difficult rehabilitation.

“He is actually very close. I am so impressed with him, how he has handled his injury,” Potter told SVT.

The Sweden boss is even refusing to rule out Kulusevski being involved during the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.

However, Potter stressed that Sweden will consult both Tottenham and the player before making any decision.

“Of course, we have to be careful with him. I hope he comes with us, but we have to talk to Dejan and Tottenham first,” he explained.

Kulusevski’s return would provide Roberto De Zerbi with another important attacking option after a difficult start to the season.

The Tottenham manager has never been able to select the former Juventus player, while Kulusevski is also yet to play for Sweden under Potter.

Potter clearly considers him central to his plans, describing Kulusevski as a “world-class player” whose character and qualities are enormously important to Sweden.

After more than a year on the sidelines and multiple setbacks, Tottenham will understandably be cautious with his workload.

Simply having Kulusevski back in full training, though, represents a significant step towards a competitive return that has been a long time coming.

Tottenham must decide when Kulusevski is ready for competitive minutes after such a lengthy absence. Sweden will also speak with Spurs and the player before determining whether he can return to international duty.