Tottenham have to resist temptation with Dejan Kulusevski now

Tottenham Hotspur right winger Dejan Kulusevski returned to the team last week on Monday Night Football, putting the cherry on top of a sweet 3-1 win over Coventry, which was the Lilywhites first win of the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Kulusevski had one of the fastest runs of the new campaign, too, clocking in at over 36 kilometers per hour on one dazzling run near the end of the match. Even in just a few minutes off the bench, Kulu looked sharp and showed that Spurs have indeed been doing a great job of easing him back to his return, because for a guy who just came back from an injury that was deemed career threatening, he was quite spry. To some, he somehow looked even faster than they remembered him.

A knee injury like that is no joking matter, and many Tottenham fans were actually expecting Kulu to look quite hobbled. There was speculation that he couldn't even move around just a few months ago before the World Cup began, and now he's on the pitch and has made back to back Premier League appearances for the club.

Keep it slow with Kulu

But Tottenham Hotspur wisely only gave him a few minutes against Chelsea in a tough rivalry matchup, seeing out a rare 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. With James Maddison now injured again with a potential groin issue that he suffered in the 50th minute of the eventual victory, there may be an even bigger temptation to push Kulusevski further along and play him for 30 or even 60 minutes and a start soon.

It's only been two games, though. It's not even November. It was only June or July that Tottenham fans were still unsure if they would see Kuluesvski at all this season. Now that he is here, there is no reason to tempt fate or push the player further than he is or risk anything, and out of every club in the world, Tottenham know better than anyone else how easy it is for a player to get injured again. Just look no further than Kulu's partner in crime James Maddison and his latest ailment.

The best course of action for Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham is to continue to stay the course. Dejan Kulusevski looked rapid against Coventry, and Spurs will want to keep it that way. They have done a great job with Kulu now, and there is zero reason to change that.