Dejan Kulusevski set for Tottenham bench against Coventry after knee injury
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi says medical staff have cleared the midfielder to return to the matchday squad after more than 500 days out.
Dejan Kulusevski is set to return to Tottenham Hotspur's matchday squad for Monday's Premier League home match against Coventry City after a knee injury kept him out for more than 500 days, AFP reported on Sunday. Manager Roberto De Zerbi said medical staff had cleared the midfielder to be on the bench; whether he plays remains to be seen.
Tottenham said Kulusevski was last involved against Crystal Palace on 11 May 2025. The Coventry match is scheduled for 8pm UK time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where his inclusion among the substitutes would mark his first place in a matchday squad since the injury.
De Zerbi says medical staff cleared Kulusevski
De Zerbi told reporters that he had met with the medical staff before receiving their approval for Kulusevski to be on the bench, according to AFP. The manager described telling the 26-year-old Swedish midfielder the news and said Kulusevski smiled widely. ‘Deki, he suffered too much,’ De Zerbi said. ‘He deserves to feel emotion on the pitch.’
De Zerbi stressed the personal significance of the decision as well as Kulusevski's value as a player. ‘It's not football. I'm not speaking about football,’ he said, according to AFP. ‘OK, he's a special player, but we are speaking about different things. He suffered a lot and his reaction was great.’ The approval concerns a place in the squad; De Zerbi did not say how many minutes Kulusevski might play.
Tottenham seek first league win against Coventry
Kulusevski's absence covered Tottenham's 2025 Europa League triumph, the whole of last season and this year's World Cup, AFP reported. His return to the squad comes as Tottenham sit bottom of the Premier League after six games and seek their first league win of the season against Frank Lampard's Coventry.
Tottenham spent much of the past week at a warm-weather training camp in Marbella, southern Spain, AFP reported. De Zerbi will still be without injured pair Savio and Lucas Bergvall on Monday, while Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended. Kulusevski's clearance adds a senior player to the available squad for that fixture, although his return to match action depends on whether De Zerbi brings him off the bench.
Read in depth: Sports
Hardik Pandya to Rajasthan Royals? Ashwin says CSK move a long shot
Former India spinner R Ashwin says Rajasthan Royals lead the race for Hardik Pandya in a trade, while a Chennai Super Kings move is a real long shot. Neither franchise has...
Kevin Durant and Suns owner Mat Ishbia exchange posts over his Phoenix tenure
The Houston Rockets forward objected to Ishbia’s account of the Suns’ 2023 trade for him. Ishbia said he was describing the team’s direction, not blaming Durant.
Sources and context
- Kulusevski on brink of return for Spurs after 17-month absenceAFP (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Team news | Dejan Kulusevski back on the bench against Sky BluesTottenham Hotspur
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.