Tottenham finally have Dejan Kulusevski back on the pitch, but his latest comments suggest his comeback is even more remarkable than it first appeared.
The 26-year-old has opened up about just how bad things got during his recovery. At one point, doctors were discussing a possible knee transplant. He even told his mother he didn’t think he’d ever play football again.
Thankfully, things have taken a much happier turn. Kulusevski is back with Sweden after two years away, and there’s already a plan for his international comeback.
For Spurs, that’s obviously great news. Although some of what he’s revealed about his knee is enough to make supporters a little nervous.
Tottenham star confirms plan for Sweden comeback
Speaking to Swedish newspaper Fotbollskanalen, Kulusevski explained how much football he expects to play during the international break.
“I’ll get to play some minutes in both games. Around 30 minutes in each. That’s what’s been said. It’s better than zero, so I’m happy.”
“I actually can play 90 minutes in both matches,” he said with a laugh. “But that’s what I can do. I’m not the one who decides.”
The one who decides is actually Graham Potter, who already talked about Deki’s recovery earlier and explained his staff is in close contact with Spurs.
Sweden face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday and Poland next Tuesday. They’re also chasing promotion to Nations League A, which they can secure with a win in the first match.
“It’s a dream. It’s what I’ve worked hard for. I’m just happy, and I’m a competitive person. I want to get out there, compete and show who I am.”
The Tottenham man also had something to say about where he’d like to play.
“I feel most comfortable as a number ten. But it doesn’t matter. Sometimes the coach puts me on the wing and then I have to adapt.”
Kulusevski reveals frightening knee transplant discussions
In a separate, much longer interview with Fotbollskanalen, Kulusevski explained how his cartilage injury turned into a nightmare.
The first treatment didn’t work. Another operation followed, but that didn’t solve the problem either. By this summer, doctors were considering a far more drastic solution.
“I spent the whole summer talking to other doctors about having another operation. It would have been a knee transplant. I would have exchanged my knee for someone else’s.”
Kulusevski wasn’t having it.
“I said no. If I’m in pain when I play, then I’ll have to play with pain.”
According to the Swede, that procedure would have kept him out for another 18 months. He also says doctors warned him nobody had previously returned from it, describing his chances as ’50/50′.
It got so bad that even walking upstairs was painful.
“I was training ten hours a day, but it wasn’t working. It didn’t matter what I did. That’s when I started thinking: ‘If it’s over, it’s over.'”
Eventually, he felt he had to prepare his family for the worst.
“I had to tell my mum: ‘I don’t think it’s going to work.'”
His mother reassured him that his family would love him regardless. Kulusevski even considered what he’d do without football.
His answer was to move to an island and spend time with his family. Having his daughter around helped him enormously during those difficult months.
Then, just when things looked bleak, something changed. He believes specialist work involving his nervous system eventually helped relieve the pain. And two familiar footballers played their part in getting him the right help.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and former Tottenham teammate Ivan Perisic encouraged him to visit a doctor in Serbia.
“Zlatan and Perisic wanted me to go there. I went, and the Serbian doctor was important for me.”
“He said: ‘Don’t think about other operations, this is what we’re going to do.'”
Kulusevski needed someone who genuinely believed he could recover. That doctor gave him exactly that. And Ibrahimovic continued offering support, even if his messages weren’t particularly elaborate.
After Kulusevski’s comeback, Zlatan sent him one word: “Bravo.”
Very Zlatan.
Some uncomfortable comments about Tottenham
Kulusevski admits he was disappointed with certain people during his rehabilitation. That included how things were handled at Tottenham.
“There were many who didn’t believe it, many were sceptical. Even at the club.”
He also suggested he sometimes wished he’d received more support.
“I’ve been disappointed in people during this period, but at the same time I have to forgive everything.”
“Sometimes you wish you’d received more help and so on. But at the same time, I understand we’re all part of a business.”
Fortunately, he doesn’t appear interested in holding a grudge.
“I’ve moved on and I love being at the club. I received a really good welcome when I came back.”
Still, it’s clear his recovery wasn’t entirely straightforward behind the scenes either.
Tottenham have their player back – but how safe is that knee?
One of the loveliest things about Kulusevski’s interview is how he’s trying to approach football now. After spending so long worrying about whether he’d ever play again, he wants to enjoy the game like he did as a child.
“I’m trying to get rid of everything and become that little boy again. Little Dejan, who was eight years old and knew nothing, but knew how to play football.”
It’s a lovely attitude, especially after everything he’s been through. But there is still a slightly worrying side to all this for Tottenham.
We’re talking about a player who was seriously considering the end of his career just a few months ago. Someone who was discussing a knee transplant, struggling with everyday movements and wondering whether he’d ever recover.
Kulusevski admits his knee still feels different on certain days, although he says it’s fine when he plays matches.
That’s encouraging, of course. But playing four substitute appearances is one thing. Getting through a full Premier League season is quite another.
Even so, the severity of the injury makes his long-term fitness a legitimate concern. Tottenham have already waited a very long time to get him back. The last thing anyone wants is for him to rush things now.
Which makes Sweden’s plan to give him around 30 minutes in each match sound pretty sensible. After everything he’s revealed, even those 30 minutes feel like a victory.
