MusaDejan Kulusevski has made a heartbreaking revelation about the serious knee injury that kept him out of action for more than a year, admitting that there was a point when he genuinely feared his football career could be over.
The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has disclosed that his recovery was so difficult that he eventually had to prepare his mother for the possibility that he might never play professionally again.
The 26-year-old suffered the devastating injury during Tottenham’s Premier League encounter with Crystal Palace in May 2025. After undergoing surgery and enduring a complicated rehabilitation process, the Swedish international finally returned to action against Coventry City earlier this month.
Now, in an emotional interview with Tottenham’s official media platform, SPURSPLAY, Kulusevski has opened up about the mental and physical challenges he experienced during what became one of the darkest periods of his career.
Tottenham initially confirmed that the midfielder had undergone surgery on his right patella just days before their Europa League final against Manchester United. Although there was initially hope that he would recover relatively quickly, the seriousness of the problem meant he spent considerably longer on the sidelines than anticipated.
As previously reported by Spurs Web, Kulusevski was ruled out of the final in Bilbao, with his absence eventually extending to 17 months.
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has since praised the midfielder’s determination and mentality throughout his rehabilitation, describing the way he handled the setback as an example for everyone at the club.
Speaking earlier this month, De Zerbi said:
“He’s an inspiration. He reacted very well, with character, with courage, with passion. We have to take inspiration from Deki. I said the same in the meeting to the players.
“He is an example for everyone, Dejan Kulusevski. Forget the player, but the example of how he reacted to the injury, the reaction to being unlucky, the character he showed this time, was an example, a reference for everyone.”
Dejan Kulusevski reveals heartbreaking conversation with his mother about retirement
During his interview on SPURSPLAY, Kulusevski explained how mentally exhausting his lengthy absence became, particularly when he was forced to watch his Tottenham teammates celebrate one of the club’s biggest achievements without him.
One of his most painful memories came during the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao.
Although the Swedish midfielder travelled to Spain to support his teammates, he was unable to participate in the celebrations because he was still relying on crutches.
Even collecting his winner’s medal proved difficult, as he could not safely climb onto the podium. The situation became even more frustrating when he had to remain in Barcelona instead of travelling home with the rest of the squad.
Reflecting on Tottenham’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United, Kulusevski admitted that the experience was emotionally devastating.
“That was one of the hardest days in my life, I think. It was so beautiful to see all the people happy, but it was very difficult for me, going there with crutches, can’t walk. I couldn’t even take my medal because it was too slippery to go on that thing [the podium].”
Watching his teammates celebrate while he remained unable to contribute was particularly painful, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding his own recovery.
The midfielder eventually reached a point where he began questioning whether he would ever return to the level required to play professional football.
In one of the most emotional revelations from the interview, Kulusevski disclosed that he had a serious conversation with his mother, explaining that he was beginning to lose hope of making a comeback.
He revealed:
“I told my mother, I sat with her, and I told her, ‘Listen, I don’t think this is going to work out’. I had to prepare her: ‘I don’t think I can play anymore’.”
Kulusevski also explained the nature of the injury he sustained against Crystal Palace, revealing that the damage to his cartilage was far more complicated than he initially realised.
According to the Tottenham midfielder, the pain did not immediately suggest that he had suffered such a serious problem.
However, subsequent examinations revealed that a piece of cartilage had broken away and moved to another part of his knee, making the recovery process particularly challenging.
He explained:
“I could feel that the knee was moving a little bit too much. I broke my cartilage, and the cartilage flew out and went to another part of the knee, and they can’t fix cartilage, so in the scan they could see that a part of my cartilage was gone.”
Kulusevski names the person who stood by him throughout his injury nightmare
While discussing the people who helped him navigate the difficult period, Kulusevski reserved special praise for his wife, Eldina.
The midfielder revealed that she played an enormous role in supporting him throughout his rehabilitation, while also taking care of their children during a particularly demanding period for the family.
He described his wife as his idol, acknowledging how much she had done behind the scenes while he battled to overcome the injury.
Kulusevski said:
“My wife is my idol. What she’s doing with the kids is amazing. She’s been the closest to seeing how it’s been with me because she’s been my partner. She’s the best.”
The Tottenham star also recalled a significant breakthrough during his rehabilitation when he returned to Sweden to continue working on his recovery.
With the help of friends and a physiotherapist, he gradually began noticing improvements in his knee, particularly when performing exercises that had previously caused considerable discomfort.
For the first time in a long while, he started experiencing movements without the familiar pain that had troubled him throughout his recovery.
Recalling that moment, Kulusevski explained:
“When I did the exercises, I said, ‘I don’t have pain. This hurt yesterday. Why is this not hurting today?’ I did the next exercise and said, ‘This is not hurting.’”
That sudden improvement gave him renewed confidence that his playing career was not over after all.
Overwhelmed by the progress, he immediately went to his wife to share the positive development, explaining that he finally believed they could overcome the nightmare.
He added:
“I went into the room to my wife. I told her, ‘It’s over. We’re going to do this.’ From one day to the next, it was just better. There was still pain, but it was different. Now I had control over my leg.”
Kulusevski’s Tottenham comeback makes his emotional revelation even more significant
After enduring more than 17 months away from competitive football, Kulusevski finally returned to action when he came off the bench during Tottenham’s 3-1 victory over Coventry City on October 19.
It was his first competitive appearance since suffering the devastating knee injury against Crystal Palace in May 2025, bringing an end to an extremely frustrating spell on the sidelines.
His return was warmly received by Tottenham supporters, who had waited patiently to see one of their most talented attacking players back in action.
However, following his latest revelations, the significance of that comeback has become even greater.
For Kulusevski, stepping onto the pitch against Coventry was not simply about returning to the Tottenham starting squad. It represented the culmination of months of uncertainty, painful rehabilitation and a battle to save the career he once feared he had lost.
De Zerbi will now be hoping to carefully manage the midfielder’s return to full fitness, allowing him to gradually regain his sharpness without placing unnecessary pressure on his recovering knee.
Tottenham have certainly missed Kulusevski’s creativity, technical ability and attacking influence during his lengthy absence.
But after everything the Swedish international has endured, rushing him back into regular action would make little sense.
His emotional interview has offered Spurs supporters a remarkable insight into the personal struggles behind his recovery, while also explaining why his return to competitive football deserves to be celebrated as a significant achievement.
Musa
