Eyebrows were raised as Dejan Kulusevski was named on the bench for Tottenham's Premier League clash with Fulham, but Ange Postecoglou has addressed doubts by claiming the decision was taken to manage the Swede's fitness ahead of a busy winter schedule.
Spurs were only able to muster a single point from the tie, after a second-half goal from Tom Cairney canceled out Brennan Johnson's opener. Despite playing the final minutes with ten men, the Cottagers stood firm against the frustrated hosts. The result leaves Postecoglou's men in 7th in the table, three points away from the top four.
Kulusevski Left on the Bench Against Fulham
Postecoglou insists the Swedish international was due a rest
Dejan Kulusevski Spurs
Among the best performing players at the club so far this season, Kulusevski has excelled in a multitude of roles in his manager's system, varying from a more natural position as a winger, to a new midfield role. With two goals and seven assists in all competitions, it was a surprise to see the 24-year-old named as a substitute against Fulham, but Postecoglou insisted that the forward was due a rest:
"Yeah, we're going have to protect our players because as I said, we're within our numbers and Deki has played every minute. I mean, I've rarely subbed him off. So we've just got to be careful with him and with a few others, but, you know, at the moment we just don't have too many options, so we've just got to try and manage them the best we can and obviously that affects performance. I think he got through the game well, and I guess for Thursday should be in good shape."
Kulusevski's services were inevitably called upon later that game anyway, as he was introduced in the 68th minute to replace Timo Werner. A plethora of unavailabilities to key forward options, including Richarlison, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore, has stretched the Tottenham squad to its limits, which is far from ideal given the hectic fixture schedule approaching.
Dejan Kulusevski's 2024/25 Premier League statistics
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Shots per 90
Key passes per 90
Successful take-ons per 90
Tottenham are due to play eight times during December, which includes key season-defining clashes against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. Fortunately, with the January transfer window swiftly approaching, the Spurs top brass may look to invest in the squad to bulk up the squad depth ahead of the second half of the campaign. Links to the likes of Patrick Dorgu and Raul Moro imply that the north Londoners are well within the market, scouring for reinforcements.
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Statistics courtesy of FBRef.com - Correct as of 01/12/2024