{
  "id": 15432035,
  "title": "Kulusevski on brink of return for Spurs after 17-month absence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/kulusevski-on-brink-of-return-for-spurs-after-17-month-absence",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T14:08:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/10/18/kulusevski-on-brink-of-return-for-spurs-after-17-month-absence"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dejan Kulusevski, the Swedish midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, is set to return to the matchday squad for the first time in over 17 months. The club are aiming to secure their first Premier League win of the season, currently sitting at the bottom of the table after six games. Kulusevski, who missed Tottenham's Europa League triumph, the entire 2024-2025 season, and the 2026 World Cup due to a serious knee injury sustained in May 2025, has been given the green light by the medical staff to return to action.\n\nRoberto De Zerbi, the Tottenham boss, expressed his delight at the news during a press conference on Sunday, noting that the player's emotional response to his return was particularly heartening. De Zerbi emphasized that while Kulusevski is indeed a special player, the focus now is on more practical matters. The club recently returned from a warm-weather training camp in Marbella, Spain, where they were joined by injured players Savio and Lucas Bergvall, as well as Rodrigo Bentancur, who is currently suspended.",
  "summary": "The Swedish midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has not played for Tottenham Hotspur since suffering a serious knee injury in May 2025.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Kulusevski on brink of return for Spurs after 17-month absence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/kulusevski-on-brink-of-return-for-spurs-after-17-month-absence-15434295",
        "published": "2026-10-18T14:08:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}