"Kulusevski fit and right, he's one of the best players we have in the squad." Roberto De Zerbi said that. The catch is that Dejan Kulusevski hasn't been fit or right for 15 months — and there's still no firm timeline on when that changes.
Spurs posted footage this week of the Swedish winger working through rehabilitation exercises alongside Mohammed Kudus, who has been sidelined since January with a quad injury. The clip shows both players jogging on the turf, passing, dribbling, and eventually striking shots at a regulation-sized goal. It's the most encouraging visual update Kulusevski has offered in a long time.
Not there yet
Let's be clear about what those images actually represent: structured rehab work, not integration into team training. Kulusevski is not yet near full sessions with his Spurs teammates. The club has been explicit about that, and De Zerbi echoed it directly — "I wouldn't like to put too much pressure on him to accelerate the process."
Sweden's national team doctor Jonas Werner explained the medical reality bluntly when Kulusevski was left out of the World Cup squad: "Cartilage injuries, like in Dejan's case, are troublesome. They are difficult to treat. Plus, he has it in a place that gets a lot of stress. The injury simply hasn't healed enough to handle that stress."
That quote matters. A patella cartilage injury isn't something you play through or rush. Werner's assessment — made this spring — pointed clearly toward unavailability, and Spurs are taking that seriously.
What his absence actually costs Tottenham
Kulusevski was one of the more reliable creative contributors in Spurs' squad before this injury derailed everything. His absence isn't just a squad depth issue — it's a specific type of direct, high-tempo wing play that nobody else at the club replicates in the same way. Any early-season market on Spurs' attacking output has to account for the fact he almost certainly won't feature until well into the campaign, if at all this calendar year.
Kudus being in the same recovery group adds another layer. Two of the more dynamic wide players on their books are both working their way back from significant injuries, and neither is close to a return date.
De Zerbi is right to be patient. Rushing Kulusevski back — only to lose him again — would be far worse than a careful, extended timeline. But patience doesn't make the wait any shorter, and right now, Spurs' attacking depth is being tested before the season has properly begun.
