Dejan Kulusevski provides update as Tottenham injury layoff remains ‘complicated’
Dejan Kulusevski has been sidelined for the past eight months with a knee injury, and the Tottenham forward has now shared a brief but upbeat message on social media as his recovery continues.
The Sweden international has not featured since May 2025 after suffering a knee issue that required surgery. The setback ruled him out of Spurs’ Europa League success and has since kept him out of 38 competitive matches, with no definitive return date yet established.
Despite the prolonged absence, Kulusevski remains in positive spirits. He recently posted a photo on Instagram alongside his daughter—who was wearing a Tottenham shirt—inside what appeared to be a gym. Accompanied by a smiling image, his caption read: “No matter what ☀️.” The post drew reactions from international teammate Viktor Gyokeres, as well as Spurs players Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence.
There had been early optimism that Kulusevski might return late in 2025, but that target was not met. Speaking at the start of the year, head coach Thomas Frank provided an update on the situation and outlined the cautious approach being taken.
“We know it’s a complicated injury,” Frank said. “If there’s one person who can speed things up, it’s Dejan. He’s a top professional with a top mentality. The priority is eliminating the pain in his knee. He received an injection around 10 days ago, and in three to four weeks we’ll know whether it’s settled. Once it is, hopefully he’ll be back on the grass, and we’ll assess things from there.
“It hasn’t progressed as quickly as we initially expected. It’s not an injury we see very often in football, which is why it’s so important to make sure there’s no pain. The injection should help, and if all goes well, he’ll be training pain-free in a few weeks.”
More recently, ahead of Tottenham’s Champions League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt, Frank admitted there was no fresh update to provide on Kulusevski’s condition.
Spurs have been hit hard by injuries throughout the season. Pedro Porro and Lucas Bergvall are the latest to join the treatment room, alongside long-term absentees Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison. Mohammed Kudus and Ben Davies are also unavailable, with Davies unlikely to play again for the club as his contract expires this summer.
James Maddison is pushing to return before the end of May following ACL surgery after sustaining a serious injury in pre-season. Dominic Solanke, who was also injured before the campaign began, has recently returned and found the net in Wednesday night’s win over Frankfurt.
Micky van de Ven missed that European clash, although Frank played down concerns, describing the issue as minor and unrelated to his hamstring.
“It’s just a small problem,” Frank said on Tuesday. “It’s not a hamstring injury, and we expect him to be a strong possibility for City.”
Tottenham’s victory in Germany secured a fourth-place finish in the Champions League league phase, setting up a potential last-16 tie against Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, or Juventus.
