London, May 15: Tottenham forward Dejan Kulusevski will be out for months after undergoing knee surgery.
Kulusevski will miss next week’s Europa League final against Manchester United because of the injury and it is not known whether he will be available for the start of next season. He will be sidelined “at least for a few months,” Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou said on Thursday.
“It’s disappointing news. Initially we thought it wasn’t too serious because obviously the medical team were worried about how the knee was structurally, but it seemed pretty good. But then it kind of blew up a day after.” Kulusevski was injured during Spurs’ defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday. He had surgery on his right patella on Wednesday.
The Europa League final is next Wednesday in Bilbao, with the winner also gaining entry to next season’s Champions League.But Postecoglou is without key players, including the injured James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall.
Kulusevski’s absence comes as a major blow not just to Tottenham’s hopes in the Europa League final, but also to their preparations for the next campaign. A player known for his creativity, work rate, and ability to influence games in the final third, his loss will leave a noticeable void in the Spurs lineup, especially at a time when the club is already grappling with multiple injury setbacks. (AP)
