The report says Kulusevski has not played since May 2025 after knee trouble led to surgery, and that a series of hoped-for return points came and went. That matters because this is not just about missing one camp or one squad announcement. It is about a recovery that appears to have demanded far more patience than anyone first hoped.
The update also says Tottenham had described an earlier procedure as a “pequena intervenção cirúrgica,” a small intervention aimed at easing persistent pain. Instead, the road back reportedly became longer and more complicated.
When Kulusevski is fit, he brings more than flair. He is the kind of forward who carries the ball through pressure, links midfield to attack and gives a side edge with his left foot and relentless running. For Sweden, that profile is hard to replace. For Tottenham, it has been a long absence from a player capable of changing the rhythm of a match.
That is why a World Cup push always looked ambitious. A player returning from a serious knee layoff does not just need clearance; he needs sharpness, confidence and repeated training weeks.
With the tournament apparently off the table, the sensible outcome is a full reset. No rushed return, no mid-season gamble, no pressure to force the timeline. A clean summer build-up could be far more valuable than chasing a symbolic comeback.
The next thing to watch is simple: whether Kulusevski can rejoin work at Hotspur Way and build toward those first pre-season sessions. For Tottenham, that would be the first real sign that one of their most distinctive attackers is finally on his way back.