The Sweden international came off the bench in the 87th minute at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night, ending an absence that had stretched back to his last appearance against Crystal Palace on 11 May 2025.
Kulusevski’s return was greeted by a roar from the home crowd as he replaced Omar Marmoush, with supporters recognising the lengthy rehabilitation required to get the 26-year-old back on the pitch.
The midfielder had suffered a complex knee injury against Palace, including cartilage damage, and underwent surgery before requiring a second procedure during the winter to address complications in his recovery. The setbacks kept him out for the entirety of the previous season.
His return coincided with Tottenham’s first Premier League win of the campaign. James Maddison opened the scoring with a curling effort in the 14th minute, but Jack Rudoni equalised early in the second half. Marmoush restored Spurs’ advantage in the 58th minute before Ben Davies scored in stoppage time to secure a 3-1 victory.
For head coach Roberto De Zerbi, Kulusevski’s return was about more than simply adding another attacking option to the squad. The Italian had personally informed the player that the medical staff had cleared him to be included in the matchday squad.
“The medical staff gave the okay. He has suffered too much,” De Zerbi said before the game. “I told him and he had a big smile on his face.”
The Spurs manager expanded on the emotional significance of the moment, explaining how much the midfielder had endured during his long spell away from competitive football.
“I think it’s one of the best news after Everton game last season, because Deki, he suffered too much. He deserves to feel emotion on the pitch,” De Zerbi said.
“Yesterday, after the training, I spoke with him and I said to him, ‘Deki, look, I spoke with the medical staff, and they gave me the okay’ and he smiled like this.
“We are happy, we are very, very happy.
“It’s not football. I’m not speaking about football. Okay, he’s a special player, but we are speaking about different things. He suffered a lot and his reaction was great.”
Kulusevski’s return offers Tottenham a potential creative boost as they look to build on the victory. Before his injury, he had been an important contributor, recording 22 Premier League goal involvements across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
His appearance against Coventry City was brief, and Spurs will need to manage his minutes carefully after such a long lay-off. But simply being back in the squad marks a major step after months of surgery, rehabilitation and uncertainty.
The result also gives De Zerbi an opportunity to bring the returning midfielder back into the team gradually while Tottenham seek greater consistency. Kulusevski’s quality is familiar to supporters; the priority now is helping him regain full fitness without rushing his recovery.
After 526 days away, the reception at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium offered a reminder of the regard in which he is held—and of how much his return means to the club.