Dejan Kulusevski Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing themselves for the Europa League final against Manchester United but Ange will now have to set up his team without Dejan Kulusevski.
The Swede was forced off after just 19 minutes during Spurs’ defeat to Crystal Palace and initially, it was thought that the injury was not serious. However, the winger has now undergone surgery so he is a sure absentee for next week’s final.
The club’s official statement reads: “We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend.
“Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today (Wednesday) and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately.”
Who will replace Dejan Kulusevski in the Europa League final?
The Swedish international has been a consistent player in an otherwise dismal season for Tottenham and his absence will be a big blow for Ange’s plans for the final. Kulusevski has scored 10 goals and provided 11 assists in 50 appearances this season and he will be badly missed.
This injury is even more problematic because along with Kulusevski, James Maddison is also out after picking up an injury earlier this month. Lucas Bergvall is another midfielder who is going to miss the Europa League final due to an ankle injury. Kulusevski and Maddison usually provide the creative spark in the final third and with them out of the picture, the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte will be a lot less troubled.
All these injured players have been key performers for Spurs this season and without them, the manager will be taking a very unbalanced squad to Bilbao.
The absence of Dejan Kulusevski means Brennan Johnson will start on the right flank and thankfully, the Welsh international has been in fine form this season. The 23-year-old has scored 11 Premier League goals and Ange won’t mind using him one bit – it’s just that Kulusevski is much more experienced at handling pressure situations.
Johnson has made 5 goal contributions in 12 Europa League appearances as well and he has what it takes to trouble Manchester United’s defenders. However, if the youngster fails to perform, the manager won’t have anyone notable to call off the bench. Mathys Tel, Son, Richarlison are all right wingers so if Brennan Johnson cannot deliver, the Spurs manager will have to rely on 20-year-old Wilson Odobert.