Kulusevski back in Sweden squad after 17 minutes of Spurs football since injury return

Dejan Kulusevski has been recalled by Sweden for the first time since the kneecap injury he suffered playing for Spurs in May 2025, after only three substitute appearances. Tottenham have the final say on his workload, which makes his minutes over the break the key issue before Ipswich visit.

Dejan Kulusevski is back in the Sweden squad. For Tottenham, the question now is how much football he plays before he returns to north London.

Graham Potter has picked him for the Nations League double-header against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Poland. Two uncapped players were also named. For Potter, Kulusevski matters to the national team both on and off the pitch.

The forward last played for Sweden on 19 November 2024. He scored twice and set up another goal against Azerbaijan that night.

The recall comes very early in his return. The Swedish FA said he was out for more than 17 months after a serious knee injury. His last Spurs game before the lay-off was against Crystal Palace on 11 May 2025. The road back included two operations.

Medical staff then cleared him to return to the matchday squad. He came on for Kudus in the 87th minute of the 3-1 home win over Coventry. It was his first competitive game in 526 days.

Since then, every appearance has come from the bench. Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace were all beaten, but his total time on the pitch across those three games remains small. He has not yet started a match since his return.

That is the tension in this call-up. Sweden want one of their key attackers back. Spurs have a player whose fitness has been built up carefully, a few minutes at a time.

Potter had hoped to call Kulusevski up as early as September. He has said Sweden and Spurs talk constantly about the player’s recovery, but that Tottenham make the final decision.

That arrangement gives the club real influence over his week away. It also suggests the national team will not simply throw him into two full matches.

The squad meets up on Monday. The players will then spend a week preparing in Valencia. That gives both camps time to judge how he handles a full training load before any game is played.

The opening match, against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Strawberry Arena, is on 14 November. Poland follow on 17 November. Two games in a short window would be a big step for a player whose recent outings have been short cameos.

A minutes-managed role off the bench would fit the cautious pattern seen at Spurs so far. A start in either match would mark a clear jump in his workload. Either way, Tottenham will be watching how he recovers between the two fixtures.

His return to club duty comes quickly after the second game. Ipswich Town visit at 3pm on Saturday 21 November.