Dejan Kulusevski, a Swedish attacking midfielder, will not be joining Tottenham Hotspur in the final match of the 2024/2025 Europa League against Manchester United. Why, you ask? Well, it turns out he had to undergo knee surgery. Ouch! The news was confirmed by Tottenham’s coach, Ange Postecoglou, during a press conference before their English Premier League match against Aston Villa on Friday (May 16, 2025) at 01:30 AM GMT.
Postecoglou expressed his disappointment, saying, “It’s really disappointing news. Initially, we thought it wasn’t too serious. But it blew up the next day, and we knew there was a problem.” The surgery will keep Kulusevski out of action for at least a few months. When asked if he will be back for the start of next season, Postecoglou replied, “We’ll see. I only have basic information at the moment regarding his recovery, but it will definitely sideline him for a while.”
The injury occurred during Tottenham’s 0-2 defeat away to Crystal Palace on Sunday (May 11, 2025). Postecoglou also revealed that Kulusevski is unlikely to play at the beginning of next season due to the lengthy recovery process. Along with Kulusevski, another Swedish player, Lucas Bergvall, is also ruled out as he is still in the process of recovering. On the bright side, captain Son Heung-min will be available for selection after recovering from a foot injury. Postecoglou mentioned, “He (Son Heung-min) will play, whether as a starter or not, we’ll see how it goes… he will definitely play at least half a game.”
As they prepare to face Villa before the Europa League final against Manchester United at San Mames Stadium in Spain on Thursday (May 22, 2025), Tottenham will likely field their strongest lineup. The absence of Kulusevski and Bergvall will surely be felt, but having Son Heung-min back in action will provide a much-needed boost for the team. Let’s hope Tottenham can overcome these setbacks and secure a victory in the upcoming matches.
