Overview
- The injury began on the final day of the 2024–25 season when Kulusevski collided with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi and left with a patella and cartilage problem.
- Scans showed a piece of cartilage had detached and moved inside his knee, a damage doctors said could not be simply repaired and that required prolonged management.
- The damage kept him out for roughly 18 months and forced him to miss Tottenham’s 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao, a moment he described as one of the hardest days of his life.
- He has recently made brief substitute appearances in Spurs’ 3–1 win over Coventry and 2–0 win at Chelsea as manager Roberto De Zerbi manages his minutes while he rebuilds fitness.
- Kulusevski credits a physio-led rehab programme in Sweden and the support of his wife Eldina and family for his comeback, and he revealed the mental toll included telling his mother he feared he might never play again.