'He comes with us' - Roberto De Zerbi provides major injury update on Dejan Kulusevski ahead of Man Utd clash

Kulusevski will travel with the Spurs squad for their weekend fixture against United on Saturday. The Swedish attacker will be joined by injured team-mate Pedro Porro as the pair look to offer moral support from the sidelines. Manager De Zerbi has specifically requested the presence of his entire squad for the high-profile trip to Manchester. This directive includes all players who are currently unavailable for selection due to injury.

The Tottenham boss was quick to praise Kulusevski for his outstanding resilience during a lengthy rehabilitation process. De Zerbi firmly believes the attacker's positive attitude sets a perfect benchmark for the rest of the dressing room.

"He is working well, tomorrow he comes with us, also Porro. I want all players tonight and tomorrow," said De Zerbi on the club's official website.

"He is working very well, and I think he is an example for everyone, Deki, because forget the player, but the example, how he reacts to the injury, how he reacts to being unlucky, the character he showed this time, was an example, a reference for everyone."

Kulusevski has endured a miserable spell on the sidelines and has not played a competitive match in over 500 days. The forward suffered a serious patella injury in his right knee at the bitter end of the 2024-25 campaign.

However, the player finally appears to see light at the end of the tunnel. He stepped up his recovery during the recent international break by safely completing an 11-v-11 training match against the Tottenham academy. Despite this significant progress, De Zerbi urged caution regarding an exact return date for the first team.

"I don't know, I don't know," he admitted. "It's not just my responsibility. We are working together with the medical staff. They are working very well with him. They have done special work. We have to analyse him week by week."

Tottenham will continue to carefully manage Kulusevski's workload as he slowly inches closer to full match fitness. The club is determined to avoid any unnecessary physical setbacks after such a severe, long-term absence.

For now, Kulusevski will watch on purely as a supporter when Tottenham face United. Moving forward, the coaching staff will evaluate his condition on a strict week-by-week basis before officially naming him in a matchday squad.