Dejan Kulusevski Reveals He Rejected Knee Transplant After 500-Day Injury Nightmare

Spurs winger Dejan Kulusevski has revealed he refused a knee transplant over the summer, and he admits he felt disappointed by some people at Tottenham during his long injury nightmare.

The Sweden international spent more than 500 days on the sidelines with a serious knee problem. His recovery came with several setbacks and many talks with medical specialists. He has now returned to competitive action and is back in the Sweden squad for the first time in two years.

Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, Kulusevski said he was advised to go for another operation. 

“I spent the whole summer talking to other doctors about having another operation,” he said. 

“It would have been a knee transplant. I would have exchanged my knee for someone else’s. I said no. If I’m in pain when I play, then I’ll have to play with pain.”

He also said he did not always feel backed during his time out, and that doubts about his recovery came from inside the club too. 

“There were many who didn’t believe it, many were sceptical. Even at the club,” he said. 

“I’ve been disappointed in people during this period, but at the same time I have to forgive everything. Sometimes you wish you’d received more help and so on. But at the same time, I understand we’re all part of a business.”

His words put more heat on Tottenham’s medical department, which has faced heavy criticism over the last two years. Several first-team players have had long spells out, and fans and pundits have questioned how the club handles player welfare and recovery. 

Kulusevski is not the first to raise doubts. Former captain Cristian Romero chose to have treatment for an injury in Argentina, away from the club, and left the medical staff out when he thanked people in a social media post.

For now, Kulusevski is looking ahead to his Sweden comeback. He expects to play about 30 minutes in each of this week’s Nations League games, against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Strawberry Arena on Saturday and away to Poland on Tuesday. 

“It’s better than zero, so I’m happy,” he said. A win over Bosnia would secure top spot in the group and promotion to League A.