Dejan Kulusevski returned for Tottenham in a 3-1 win over Coventry on Monday, making his first appearance in 526 days. The 26-year-old came on late in the match after 17 months on the sidelines.
A long road back
Kulusevski's previous appearance had come on May 11, 2025. Surgery on his right patella in May last year was followed by multiple setbacks.
According to The Independent, a second procedure in March finally set Kulusevski on the road to recovery.
Kulusevski on his comeback
Kulusevski told Sky Sports after coming off the bench against Coventry: "I will tell everyone about the journey. It has been an amazing journey, even if it has been hard sometimes. Hard is beautiful."
He added: "Now, I am ready to play football. I see myself as different now. I think that I am a different man. The same guy that wants to play football, but a little bit smarter, so I am happy."
Kulusevski also said: "The journey felt impossible. It was the most difficult it could be, but I had a feeling I was going to come back to play football. I just had to believe and that is what I do."
Views on De Zerbi and what comes next
On head coach Roberto De Zerbi, Kulusevski said: "He’s amazing. I like him a lot and I can’t wait to keep working with him."
Former Spurs star Gus Poyet told GOAL: "It will take time. But the good thing is he's got very, very good options in front of him. So it's not something that needs to happen now."
GOAL says Tottenham's next matches are away at Chelsea on Saturday and against Crystal Palace the following week.