Dejan Kulusevski has revealed how a physiotherapist in Sweden who "changed my nervous system" saved his Tottenham career — after 17 months out with a knee injury that left him unable to climb stairs and telling his mother he might never play again.
The 26-year-old Sweden international returned last week to a rapturous reception, coming on in the 87th minute of Spurs' 3-1 home win over Coventry, and followed it with another substitute appearance in Saturday's win at Chelsea. Speaking to SpursPlay ahead of Saturday's match against Crystal Palace, Kulusevski explained just how close the story came to ending differently, in quotes reported by theScore.
"I still can't walk on the stairs like a normal guy"
Kulusevski suffered the injury in a collision with Marc Guehi on the final day of the 2024-25 season. He broke his cartilage — part of it detached and moved inside the joint — and, as OneFootball reported from his club interview, he told his mother: "Listen, I don't think this is going to work out. I had to prepare her — I don't think I can play anymore." He missed Tottenham's Europa League final win in Bilbao, a day he called one of the hardest of his life, and then the entire 2025-26 campaign. Knee surgery in May 2025 brought multiple setbacks, and a second procedure in March finally set him on the road back.
"It had been like one year and a couple of months and I still can't walk on the stairs," he said. "I can't walk on the stairs like a normal guy. I have to play football, so in my head I'm not going to give up — but I have to think, if this doesn't work out, what do I do?"
The physio who changed everything
The turning point came at home in Sweden. "I went to a physio in Sweden. He was able to change my nervous system and then it felt different. When I did the exercises, I said, 'I don't have pain — this hurt yesterday. Why is this not hurting today?' Then I did the next exercise and said, 'this is not hurting,' and I went into the room to my wife and told her, 'it's over, we're going to do this.' From the minute I went into the room, it was better."
"There was still pain, but it was different. Now I had control of my leg, and that is when the grind started. I started to play football and it got better every day. I was limping and everything, but it was different now. I got much stronger in a short time and I went from 'this guy will not play football any more' to playing really good football in just a couple of weeks."
So what does his return mean for Spurs?
Kulusevski also paid tribute to head coach Roberto De Zerbi — "he is a very special manager, so when he came here it feels also like it is special" — and his return lands at a useful moment. Spurs are rebuilding their attack around the players De Zerbi trusts, having already made clear Dominic Solanke is not for sale, while James Maddison's own fitness remains a doubt — which makes a fit, motivated Kulusevski close to a new signing for the Palace game and beyond. The question now is load: two cameos is a start, not a comeback completed, and after 526 days out his minutes will be built carefully.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: this is the best story in Tottenham's season so far — not a transfer, not a tactic, but a player who was preparing his family for retirement at 26 and is now playing Premier League football again because one physio looked at his nervous system instead of only his knee. If Kulusevski gets anywhere near his best, De Zerbi has gained the creative winger this squad has missed for a year and a half. Can Kulusevski become a regular starter again this season? Have your say in the comments.
