Kulusevski’s 19-Month Fight Back: Tottenham's Hope for a Turnaround
Tottenham’s long wait is nearly over. After 19 months of limbo, Dejan Kulusevski is back in full training and suddenly there is a flicker of light for a team still searching for its first league win – and its first goal – of the season.
Kulusevski’s 19-month fight back
The Sweden international has not played a competitive minute since the end of the 2024/25 campaign. A serious right patella injury ripped him out of the side and, more cruelly, out of the summer World Cup. For a player in his prime, 19 months on the sidelines is not just a setback; it is a threat to an entire career.
His first attempt to return in August ended with a minor setback. The rehab clock reset. The frustration grew.
Now, at 26, he has finally rejoined full sessions with the senior squad. No more isolated drills. No more watching from the side. For a fragile Tottenham dressing room, that alone feels like a jolt of energy.
Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa will still come too early. The staff are not prepared to throw him straight back into the fire. The target is October or November for a competitive comeback, a measured timeline rather than a desperate gamble.
Roberto De Zerbi made it clear they will not rush him.
“We have to manage Deki in the best way we can, with the medical staff, physical staff, but it’s a great thing for us,” the Spurs head coach said. “He’s a good player, he’s a good guy and he deserves to play again.”
Before the injury, Kulusevski had been the bright spot in a turbulent 2024/25 season, widely viewed as the club’s standout performer. When everything else wobbled, he carried a large share of the creative and emotional load. Losing him for an entire year stripped Spurs of a key reference point in their attack.
Getting him back is not just about tactics. It is about belief.
Maddison edging back, creativity returning
Kulusevski is not the only creative pillar trying to climb back to full sharpness.
James Maddison has endured his own brutal cycle. An ACL tear last August demanded a huge physical and mental effort just to return for the end of last season, where he played his part in helping Spurs avoid the drop. That alone would have been a defining chapter for many players. For Maddison, it was followed by more trouble.
This campaign has brought further shoulder issues, interrupting any rhythm he tried to build. Yet there is finally some continuity on the training pitch.
“Listen, James is working with the team in the last 10, 15 days. Maybe less than 15 days and even if he’s a technical player, he needs to be fit, to stay in a good condition,” De Zerbi said, underlining that Maddison’s craft still needs a proper physical base.
The manager also stressed that Maddison brings qualities in short supply in this squad. Spurs have looked blunt and predictable. Maddison, when right, bends games to his will, takes risks on the ball, and shifts the tempo in ways few around him can match.
Selection boost for Villa test
Tottenham head into the weekend in a precarious position: four Premier League games, no wins, no goals. A new regime already under scrutiny, a fanbase restless, a team searching for any kind of spark.
De Zerbi has refused to panic, insisting the performances will turn into points if his players keep their nerve. The return of key figures gives that stance a little more weight.
For the Villa match, the news is better across the board. The head coach confirmed that Pedro Porro, Sandro Tonali and Maddison are all in contention after missing the midweek cup defeat to Liverpool in the case of Porro and Tonali. Their availability thickens a squad that has looked stretched and short of solutions in recent weeks.
Spurs will still be without Kulusevski on Saturday. His story is a longer one, a careful build rather than a quick fix. But with Maddison edging back, Porro and Tonali ready to return, and their long-lost talisman finally training at full tilt, Tottenham’s season is approaching a turning point.
The question now is simple: when Kulusevski finally steps back onto a Premier League pitch, will Spurs still be fighting to steady themselves – or ready for him to push them higher?
