Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski is in Sweden to work on his fitness and return to action after the international break.
The international break perhaps came at the right time for Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs were beaten 3-2 by Aston Villa, which led to some boos from the N17 faithful. The result meant no wins in five Premier League fixtures for De Zerbi’s side, and after Fulham’s draw with Manchester United, they touched the foot of the table. So, the break should help De Zerbi and his coaching staff to go back to the drawing board and change their plans that have clearly not worked out.
Well, some players have been taking advantage of the extended international break. Dejan Kulusevski is one of those, having spent over 500 days on the sidelines with a serious knee injury. The attacking midfielder returned to training earlier this month after two knee surgeries. De Zerbi admitted that the Swedish international’s return will be a huge boost to his side, adding the international break could be important for him to work his way up to full fitness.
Club insider reveals timeline for Dejan Kulusevski to get back to his best
Latest reports suggest Dejan Kulusevski is back in his homeland working on his fitness during the international break. It is genuinely hoped that the 26-year-old could be ready to return to matchday squads at some point after the extended hiatus.
Now, former scout Bryan King has shed light on how long it will take for Kulusevski to return to his absolute best.
“This is the thing with Kulusevski because he’s been a good player for Tottenham, and he gives Spurs that width when he plays,” Bryan King exclusively told Football Insider.
“He attacks in wide positions, and he attacks well. He’s been missed by Sweden as well as Tottenham, that’s for sure. I thought he was a very good buy.
“He didn’t cost masses of money, and he’s proved how he developed from somebody who hardly anybody had heard of, apart from people who work in Scandinavia, to come in and play like he did and produce what he did.
“There again, football has a terrible way of kicking you in the face, and the last thing he wanted at that moment in his career was the kind of injury he’s got.
“So, it’ll be interesting to see when he is fully fit, what’s going to be happening here with his play. It’s going to take him a month at least to get himself back in to any kind of standard, but he’s a player that Spurs will need. That’s for sure.”
Kulusevski should get time and help to reach his best again
Kulusevski was Tottenham’s best player during the 2024/25 season, when he registered 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury, which ruled him out of the Europa League final win over Man United. He was a massive loss for the Lilywhites last season, as De Zerbi masterminded a great escape from the jaws of relegation.
The Swede’s return will undoubtedly be handled with extreme care, even though he must be raring to get back to action after 16 months out and make an immediate impact. Double surgeries, setbacks and further complications have made it incredibly hard for the creative winger to attain fitness, but now there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.
It is going to perhaps take months for Deki to get match sharpness, rhythm and confidence back. He will definitely have the fear of a relapse of the injury, so wiping out those cobwebs from his mind and managing his fitness post-return to action should be a big responsibility for De Zerbi and his coaching staff.
