Dejan Kulusevski joins up with Sweden squad despite ongoing Tottenham injury

2 days ago 36

Despite nursing a long-term injury set to keep him out until next year, Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevski has still linked up with the Sweden national side.

Tottenham Hotspur’s international break curse continued under new manager Thomas Frank, with the club extending their run of defeats in the game before the break, a record that dates back to October 2023.

The Lilywhites looked sharp and aggressive when they faced Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in matchweek two of the Premier League, but they were nowhere near that level when they returned to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Bournemouth, slipping to a disappointing 1-0 defeat.

Attention has now shifted to international football, where several Tottenham players have received call-ups to represent their countries during the break.

Dejan Kulusevski joins Sweden squad despite Tottenham injury

Dejan Kulusevski, who remains out with a patella injury suffered towards the back end of last season, has surprisingly joined up with the Swedish national team despite being nowhere near match fitness.

Speaking to Swedish media earlier this week, Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson confirmed that Kulusevski has travelled with the national team squad.

His comments, relayed by Fotbollskanalen, outlined exactly why the Spurs winger is present. Tomasson explained: “Dejan Kulusevski will be part of the group. He will not be able to play but he will be there anyway.

“That says something about his character. He will do everything to make sure we get to the World Cup. He wants to help the team. He will be with the team throughout the training camp.”

Spurs attacker still sidelined as focus shifts to leadership role

Kulusevski is not expected to return to action any time soon as he continues his rehabilitation on an injury that could realistically rule him out until the end of the year.

Still, his leadership qualities remain valuable for Sweden during this international break, as they gear up to face Slovenia and Kosovo in their World Cup qualifying fixtures.

When asked directly about whether Kulusevski would be present for the upcoming matches against Slovenia and Kosovo, Tomasson was clear in his response. He said: “Yes, he will come along.”

The Spurs forward was also the one who initiated the idea of joining up with the camp, with Tomasson revealing: “We have talked many times, and he asked me if he could be there. I replied: ‘Of course you can!’. Everyone in the team thought: ‘Wow, he has the right character’ when they heard about it. This says something about his personality.”