Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has given an injury update on Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Mykhailo Mudryk, and explained how close each is to playing in the upcoming game against Manchester United.
News about Kulusevski’s rehabilitation has been mostly encouraging this week. Fellow Swede Lucas Bergvall was among the first to speak about it, calling Kulusevski a “hungry machine” and saying he has made excellent progress and that everyone at the club is eager to have him back. Asked whether a return was close, Bergvall said he thought so, though he admitted he couldn’t say how Kulusevski felt or how the club viewed it. What was clear to him was that Kulusevski is training very well and improving every day.
Since then, reports have said Kulusevski took part in an 11 v 11 training match, another sign of his progress. Some even suggested he could be in the matchday squad to face United.
De Zerbi has now addressed this himself. Speaking to Tottenham’s official channel, he confirmed that Kulusevski and Porro will travel with the squad tomorrow. He praised Kulusevski’s work and said the way he has handled the injury, and the character he has shown, is an example for everyone. However, he said he doesn’t know how far away Kulusevski is from a place in the matchday squad. The medical staff are doing great work, including some specialised sessions, and the situation will be assessed week by week.
Reports suggest Kulusevski is not far from being back in a matchday squad, possibly this month. But De Zerbi’s comments make clear there is no fixed timeline.
The manager also spoke about Porro and Mudryk, saying both are getting closer to a return. Speaking to football.london, he said neither is available for this game. Porro will be out for a few more matches, while Mudryk could be out for a little longer.
With Porro unavailable, Archie Gray is expected to start at right-back against the Red Devils.
