Kulusevski details change in treatment behind long-awaited Tottenham return

The Swedish midfielder was introduced to a rapturous reception in the 87th minute of the club's 3-1 home victory against Coventry last week and followed that up with another substitute appearance in Saturday's win at Chelsea as Spurs continued their improvement after a poor start to the Premier League season.

Kulusevski had multiple setbacks after knee surgery in May 2025. But a second procedure in March finally set him on the road to recovery.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's match against Crystal Palace, the 26-year-old Kulusevski told SpursPlay that he started to have doubts over his future in the game.

"It had been like one year and a couple of months and I still can’t walk on the stairs. I can't walk on the stairs like a normal guy," he admitted.

"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?

"I went to a physio in Sweden. He was able to change my nervous system and then it felt different. When I did the exercises, I said, 'I don't have pain, like this hurt yesterday. Why is this not hurting today?'

"Then I did the next exercise and said, 'this is not hurting,’ and I went into the room to my wife. And I told her, 'it's over, we're going to do this'. From the minute I went into the room, it was better."

Kulusevski went on to detail how the pain had changed in a quick space of time, and that set him on the road to a proper recovery.

"There was still pain but it was different. Now I had control of my leg and then that is when the grind started that summer. I started to play football and it got better every day. I was limping and everything, but it was different now.

"I got much stronger in a short time and I went from 'this guy will not play football any more’ to playing really good football in just a couple of weeks."

Spurs are next in action against Crystal Palace on Saturday, October 31st.