Dejan Kulusevski is edging closer to a full Tottenham Hotspur return, with the Swede having spent nearly 500 days sidelined after complex patella surgery. A comeback could arrive after the international break, potentially as soon as October 10 away at Manchester United, though nothing is confirmed yet.
According to a report via CaughtOffside, which cites The Sun, there is hope that Kulusevski will be included in one of Roberto De Zerbi’s matchday squads once the current break ends. The Old Trafford fixture carries a nice bit of symmetry given his commanding display there in September 2024, but Tottenham’s medical staff are said to remain extremely cautious given previous minor setbacks during his rehabilitation.
If Manchester United comes too soon, the report suggests his return is likely to land in one of the three or four matches that follow instead. Anyone wanting exact injury dates, surgery counts or precise day totals will have to look elsewhere – this update doesn’t deal in that level of granularity, and neither should we pretend it does. For more on the club’s wider fitness picture, this Tottenham injury update and this closer look at Kulusevski’s progress are worth a read.
Why Spurs need this one to go right
The report frames Kulusevski’s eventual return as a genuine boost for De Zerbi, who has endured a difficult start to the season despite the club’s summer spending. That’s not spin dreamed up for the occasion – it’s a fair description of where Tottenham currently sit, short on consistent form and attacking fluidity.
Kulusevski’s underlying numbers back up the optimism: 15 goals and 19 assists during his time in North London, per the same report. Ball retention, creative output and tactical flexibility are the qualities being pointed to, and on paper those are exactly the things this Tottenham side has been missing. Whether one player returning from such a long layoff can single-handedly fix an attack is another matter entirely, and one Spurs fans have every right to be wary of after years of pinning hopes on returning talismans.
What comes next
For now, the plan is conditional rather than confirmed: a possible squad inclusion at Old Trafford on October 10, with a fallback window in the games immediately after if that proves premature. Medical caution remains the deciding factor, and any further setback would push things back again. Nobody at this club needs reminding how often that’s happened before.
