Tottenham team news: Dejan Kulusevski makes 'comeback' after 515 days out in huge injury boost

Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski has reportedly taken a major step forward in his recovery from a serious knee injury by playing an 11-a-side match at the Lilywhites' training ground during the international break.

The 26-year-old's most recent appearance for Tottenham came all the way back on May 11, 2025 - 515 days ago - against Crystal Palace, the game in which he picked up a significant knee problem inside the first 20 minutes.

Kulusevski has spent the last 17 months on the arduous road to recovery, missing the entirety of the 2025-26 season as Spurs staved off relegation from the Premier League by the skin of their teeth.

However, Kulusevski was named in Tottenham's Premier League squad at the beginning of September, suggesting that the former Juventus winger would be back in action in the not-so-distant future.

Kulusevski resumed team training a few weeks ago too, albeit while having to stop briefly due to a minor setback, before Sweden boss Graham Potter revealed that the attacker was "very close" to making his long-awaited competitive comeback.

Dejan Kulusevski makes Tottenham 'comeback' in 11-a-side friendly

Now, Kulusevski has moved ever closer to pulling on the Tottenham shirt again, as the Daily Mail reports that the Scandinavian took part in a behind-closed-doors game during the international hiatus.

Kulusevski supposedly joined fellow first-team players to take on an academy team comprised of Under-21s and Under-18s, but details of the fixture itself remain unknown.

As a result, it is not clear how many minutes Kulusevski was able to play or if he was able to make a telling impact on the fixture, although Roberto De Zerbi may be quizzed on the friendly in his press conference before Manchester United this weekend.

The 26-year-old is highly unlikely to be considered for selection in the Old Trafford Premier League contest, though, meaning Spurs will have to go in search of their first top-flight win of the season without him.

With Kulusevski watching on helplessly, Tottenham have collected a paltry two points from their opening five games of the top-flight season to sit bottom of the Premier League table, below 19th-placed Fulham on goal difference.

How big a boost will Dejan Kulusevski's return be for Tottenham?

As De Zerbi has constantly reiterated whenever asked for Kulusevski updates, Tottenham must manage the Swedish winger incredibly carefully given his extremely lengthy spell on the sidelines.

However, if the ex-Juventus winger can show signs of his former self when he eventually makes his competitive comeback, Tottenham will be blessed with the creativity and forward-thinking mentality that has been lacking for a large chunk of the last 18 months.

Kulusevski has amassed 55 goal involvements in 146 games for Tottenham since arriving midway through the 2021-22 season, including 21 combined goals and assists in 50 games in 2024-25 before his injury.

Fellow creator Xavi Simons is unlikely to return from his ACL problem until February or March at the earliest, so Kulusevski's comeback cannot come quickly enough for Tottenham, but patience will be required for a little while longer yet.