Dejan Kulusevski reveals breakthrough behind 'remarkable' Tottenham comeback

The Swedish international made his comeback as a substitute in Tottenham's 3-1 victory over Coventry last week before featuring again in Saturday's win against Chelsea.

Kulusevski suffered a patella injury in his right knee during a 2-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace towards the end of the 2024-25 season. After numerous setbacks, he feared his career might be over.

He admitted that his situation had become desperate, revealing that he was still struggling to walk normally more than a year after the injury.

"I have to play football so in my head I'm not going to give up, but I have to think that if this doesn't work out, what do I do?" Kulusevski told SpursPlay.

His recovery finally took a positive turn after visiting a physiotherapist in Sweden, who helped him address the problem through a different approach to rehabilitation.

"I went to a physio in Sweden. He was able to change my nervous system and then it felt different," he explained.

"When I did the exercises, I said, 'I don't have pain, like this hurt yesterday. Why is this not hurting today?'

"I went into the room to my wife and told her, 'It's over, we're going to do this'. From that minute, it was better."

Although some pain remained, Kulusevski said he regained control of his leg and began working towards a return to football. His progress accelerated during the summer before Tottenham's medical staff helped him rebuild his strength during pre-season.

The winger also described watching Tottenham celebrate their Europa League triumph with an open-top bus parade as one of the most difficult moments of his recovery, revealing that he was still struggling to walk to the bathroom at the time.

Now back in action, Kulusevski believes the work he has put in has given him confidence that his knee can withstand the demands of professional football.

"I know I can compete because I put in the work. I'm not afraid because I put in the work for one year, so I know I will be ready to play and the knee is strong," he said.

He also praised Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi, describing the Italian as a special coach and expressing his happiness at working with him and his coaching staff.

Tottenham host Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, with Kulusevski hoping to build on his encouraging return.