Alasdair Gold reports that Dejan Kulusevski is unlikely to make a return for Tottenham in the near future, as the club continue to manage his recovery carefully.

Dejan Kulusevski is yet to make an appearance for Tottenham this season as pressure continues to mount on Thomas Frank following a mixed run of results. The Spurs boss was jeered by away fans after a goalless draw with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on New Year’s Day.

Tottenham have lacked creativity and cutting edge in attack throughout the campaign, scoring only 27 goals in 19 Premier League games. Frank has also been dealing with a number of long-term injuries to key players. Earlier this week, the 52-year-old shared encouraging news on Dominic Solanke, confirming the striker has returned to full training and could feature again later this month. However, there has been little clarity surrounding Kulusevski’s recovery.

The Sweden international has been out since suffering a knee injury late last season that required surgery on his patella. While he did return to grass training after the November international break, no clear return date has been set.

Football London’s Alasdair Gold has since suggested that Kulusevski is still some distance away from a comeback. Gold pointed out that Frank’s continued omission of the midfielder from recent press conferences implies he is not close to rejoining full training. He added that Kulusevski’s ability to play both centrally and on the right would make him an important option if he were available, and believes the Swede will make a big difference once he returns.

Having been sidelined for almost eight months, Kulusevski will be keen to get back to full fitness. He was among Spurs’ top performers in the first half of last season, particularly in a central role, despite a drop in form later on. His return is expected to provide a significant lift, given his versatility and attacking qualities.