Tottenham star has returned to full training after 14 months out.
Roberto De Zerbi has had to rely heavily on academy players across the three friendly games Tottenham Hotspur have played so far.
The North Londoners wrapped up the pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia by beating Sydney FC in a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1 in normal time. Fans are yet to see several senior Tottenham players in action, including the likes of Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and Kevin Danso, despite them being part of Roberto De Zerbi’s 35-man squad for the tour of New Zealand and Australia.
The 46-year-old has explained the reasoning behind the club’s cautious approach, revealing why he is unwilling to take unnecessary risks with several key players ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. The Italian tactician did offer some positive news, though, hinting that some of them could be involved in a friendly against Chelsea on August 1. And he has now received another positive update.
Dejan Kulusevski has returned to full training
According to club insider Szyexcl on X, Dejan Kulusevski returned to full training after missing the whole of last season.
The Swedish international injured his right patella following a collision with Marc Guehi in a league game against Crystal Palace during the 2024/25 campaign. He has now been sidelined for more than 13 months with a knee injury, and much to his disappointment, the playmaker was unable to recover in time for the World Cup.
The 26-year-old has endured a frustrating rehabilitation that has included multiple setbacks. This has meant Dejan Kulusevski has not played a competitive match for club or country since the Crystal Palace game in early May 2025. Given Sweden’s team doctor explained Kulusevski’s cartilage injury is a bit tricky, there were even understandable questions over whether he would ever return to the pitch.
At the start of July, the midfielder was spotted doing some light drills on the grass, which restored faith in Tottenham fans that he is not far away from returning. With the player returning to full training at Hotspur Way, as revealed by the reliable club insider, our fans have some reason to be optimistic about Kulusevski’s fitness as the new season approaches.
The Swede was not part of the 35-man squad for Spurs’ pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia. The creative midfielder will now hope to impress when action resumes next season. However, De Zerbi recently insisted that Tottenham must take an extremely measured approach to his reintegration following 14 months away from competitive action. The Tottenham boss stated that Kulusevski remains central to the club’s long-term plans, but his fitness must be handled with utmost care.
This means we have to wait longer before Kulusevski is seen in action. Hopefully, the Scandinavian star does not suffer any more setbacks in his rehab.