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Dejan Kulusevski’s Sweden teammate has made a telling admission about the Tottenham star’s ongoing injury nightmare.
Kulusevski’s recovery has not progressed as well as Sweden had hoped, and he is not expected to play any part in their World Cup playoffs.
According to reports, Tottenham are waiting for the pain in the midfielder’s knee to subside before stepping up his rehabilitation.
As a result, there is not yet a clear timeline on Kulusevski’s return, with the attacking midfielder having been sidelined since May of last year.
Yasin Ayari admits his heart goes out to Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski
While he may not be able to help his international teammates on the pitch in the playoff semifinal against Ukraine this evening, Kulusevski did provide moral support to them ahead of the big game.
The Spurs star linked up with the Sweden camp in Spain on Wednesday, and his teammate, Yasin Ayari, confessed that it is hard to see the 25-year-old go through what he is at the moment.
The Brighton star told Fotbollskanalen about Kulusevski: “He is a good personality both on and off the field. A natural leader. But first and foremost his qualities, of course. A fantastic footballer. Now he is unfortunately not there, but we have to make the best of the situation,” he said.
“I see him suffering and I know how much this means to him, especially when it comes to the national team. He wants to do something big with this country. I think everyone knows that. Of course, it’s a shame. But I just hope it will be good when he comes back.
“You want to be there and support. It’s tough even if you don’t show it. I try to be there. Family and friends try to be there to support him. We try to help him as much as we can. But we all know how strong he is mentally.”
Kulusevski was seen limping when he arrived at Sweden’s training camp, but the Tottenham star has since eased concerns with a statement on Instagram.
He said: “Just to clarify things. I am limping because I had a small intervention in the knee two weeks ago. Went in and took out what not suppose to be there. Knee is great now. Thanks for all the support God is the greatest, always.”
Tottenham fans were quick to react on social media, with some taking a more negative view than others.
Kulusevski may still be dreaming of playing in the World Cup
The Tottenham star has now been out of action for nearly a whole year, and Spurs fans are becoming increasingly frustrated and seriously concerned about the player.
Kulusevski’s return date remains unknown as of yet, but the former Juventus man will likely be dreaming of playing in the World Cup for the first time this summer.
He will be hoping that his teammates can secure qualification without his help, with Graham Potter’s men needing to overcome Ukraine and then one of Poland or Albania in order to be on the plane to North America.
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