Arjun Menon
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Dejan Kulusevski has been named in a Tottenham matchday squad for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi calling the Swedish forward’s recovery the “greatest news” ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Coventry City.
Kulusevski was forced off during a Premier League fixture following a collision with centre-back Marc Guehi. Then-Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou initially described the issue as a minor knock, but it later emerged the former Juventus man had sustained damage to his right patella that required surgery.
The 26-year-old endured a series of setbacks during his rehabilitation. He took part in an 11-a-side training match during the recent international break and travelled with the squad for last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United. De Zerbi has now confirmed Kulusevski will be part of the matchday group, ending a 526-day absence from first-team action.
“Yes, Kulusevski on the bench. We had a meeting with the medical staff, they gave the okay, and it’s great news,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference on Sunday morning.
“I think it’s one of the best news after the Everton game last season, because Deki, he suffered too much. He deserves to feel emotion on the pitch.”
“Yesterday, after the training, I spoke with him and I said to him, ‘Deki, look, I spoke with the medical staff, and they gave me the okay’ and he smiled like this. We are happy, we are very, very happy. It’s not football. I’m not speaking about football. Okay, he’s a special player, but we are speaking about different things. He suffered a lot and his reaction was great.”
The timing matters. Tottenham dropped to the foot of the Premier League table on Saturday after Fulham beat Hull City 1-0, leaving De Zerbi’s side searching for any positive momentum heading into the Coventry fixture.
Savio and Bergvall Ruled Out
De Zerbi confirmed that both Savio and Lucas Bergvall will miss the Coventry game. The Brazilian winger, signed from Manchester City over the summer, skipped the squad’s training camp in Marbella due to a muscle problem.
Bergvall picked up a knee injury in the build-up to Dominic Solanke’s early chance during last weekend’s trip to Old Trafford.
“No Savio. Unfortunately, Savio on Tuesday before leaving for Marbella felt a muscular problem, and we have lost him for some weeks,” De Zerbi said.
“And Lucas Bergvall, because he had a problem in Manchester early on in the first chance he created for Dominic Solanke. He felt pain in his knee but felt fine, and on Sunday he came to the training ground, and he’ll be out for two weeks.”
Porro Still Weeks Away
De Zerbi also ruled out right-back Pedro Porro for the Coventry match. Porro has not featured since being substituted in the first half of the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa due to a hamstring problem.
“Pedro is coming. Maybe against Chelsea, he can play,” the Spurs boss said.
Kulusevski’s return gives De Zerbi a genuine lift at a difficult point in the season, even as the squad continues to manage fresh fitness concerns across multiple positions. Stay with TipsGG for continued coverage of Tottenham’s injury situation and every Premier League matchday update.