Tottenham attacking midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has not played this season after undergoing surgery on his patella last May
12:58, 26 Feb 2026Updated 13:06, 26 Feb 2026
Sweden are hoping to have Dejan Kulusevski back for their World Cup play-off
Sweden boss Graham Potter hopes to have Dejan Kulusevski and Alexander Isak fit for their nation’s crunch World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine.
The duo are currently sidelined, though there are also fears that the contest at the end of March will come too soon for both players.
Kulusevski is yet to play for Spurs this season after undergoing knee surgery last May and Potter has issued an update on the pair’s possible availability for the crucial matchup.
He said: “Right now we’re just keeping our fingers crossed and hopefully we can get some of those guys back. But if not, we have to find a solution with the guys that are available.”
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Speaking at the start of the month, recently-sacked Tottenham boss Thomas Frank indicated Kulusevski’s return was not imminent.
It’s been a rollercoaster rehabilitation process for the former Juventus starlet and Spurs are reluctant to put pressure on the 25-year-old despite the severity of their current situation in the Premier League.
Frank said: “It’s a complicated injury, where it’s important to make sure there’s no pain in the knee. That’s why he got an injection and it hopefully will help. So in three to four weeks’ time, he’ll be on the grass pain-free.”
Kulusevski has not played for Sweden since November 2024 when he scored twice and assisted in the 6-0 demolition of Azerbaijan.
Dejan Kulusevski has been injured since last May and has not featured for Spurs this season(Image: Getty Images)
He also captained the Scandinavians in five of their six UEFA Nations League matches, highlighting his importance to the national team fold.
Spurs could do with having Kulusevski back to provide creativity and work ethic in the final third but at this stage, there appears to be no guarantees he’ll be back soon having recently been spotted on a flight to Barcelona where he was due to undergo a medical checkup.
Unfortunately for Potter, Isak is also some distance from returning after suffering a fibula fracture which required surgery back in December in the 2-1 win at Tottenham.
Arne Slot recently said of the £125million striker: “With Alex, I think he has been on the pitch now, not with his football shoes but with his running shoes, for the first time this week, so that will still take a while as well before he is ready to play for us again.”
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