Tottenham Hotspur’s Dejan Kulusevski played the full 120 minutes for Sweden in their 1-0 win over Czech Republic in a World Cup play-off on Thursday.
Janne Andersson started the north London club’s forward alongside Real Sociedad star Alexander Isak.
The Spurs player would have been replaced before the hour mark after he was involved in an incident with opposition defender, David Zima. The two players clashed their heads in the 55th minute, leaving the Swede down on the pitch and needing an ice-pack.
Kulusevski received treatment during the game and despite the initial scare, he decided to continue to fight on the pitch for his country. He detailed what he went through after the tie.
“It started to spin for a few seconds and I got a little worried. I thought it was the head, but then it turned out well. I was just trying to get angry to get energy from it,” he told C More, relayed by Fotbollskanalen.
It’s not clear whether there are any further concerns for the Tottenham attacker, or if tests are set to take place. Antonio Conte’s side are likely to keep a close eye on Kulusevski after the initial scare.
Despite Sweden’s latest victory, they still need to overcome Poland to seal a place at the World Cup.
“I’m just happy. It was an incredible match. A strange match. A boring match. A difficult match. But I do not care. We won 1-0 and will play against Poland now. We have to win there too,” Kulusevski added.
“Poland have rested, so they certainly feel good, but when it comes to matches like this, it is the smartest who wins. It’s not about who is the best or who has the most energy. It’s about who’s smart. We are winners in this team, so I think we will win.”
