Dejan Kulusevski has opened up about the treatment breakthrough that helped him return to action for Tottenham Hotspur after a 17-month injury nightmare left him questioning whether his football career was over.

The Swedish midfielder received a warm reception from supporters when he came on as a late substitute in Tottenham’s 3-1 home victory over Coventry last week. He then made another appearance from the bench in Saturday’s win against Chelsea, as Spurs continued their recovery following a difficult start to the Premier League campaign.

Kulusevski endured several setbacks after undergoing knee surgery in May 2025. However, a second operation in March finally helped put him on the path towards recovery.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash with Crystal Palace, the 26-year-old told SpursPlay that the lengthy absence had left him uncertain about his future in the sport.

“It had been like one year and a couple of months and I still can’t walk on the stairs. I can’t walk on the stairs like a normal guy,” he admitted.

“I have to play football so in my head I’m not going to give up, but I have to think that if this doesn’t work out, what do I do?”

The turning point came when Kulusevski visited a physiotherapist in Sweden, whose treatment helped bring a significant change in how his body responded to pain.

“I went to a physio in Sweden. He was able to change my nervous system and then it felt different. When I did the exercises, I said, ‘I don’t have pain, like this hurt yesterday. Why is this not hurting today?'”

“Then I did the next exercise and said, ‘this is not hurting,’ and I went into the room to my wife. And I told her, ‘it’s over, we’re going to do this’. From the minute I went into the room, it was better.”

Kulusevski explained that although some discomfort remained, the improvement gave him greater control over his leg and allowed him to begin rebuilding his fitness.

“There was still pain but it was different. Now I had control of my leg and then that is when the grind started that summer. I started to play football and it got better every day. I was limping and everything, but it was different now.”

“I got much stronger in a short time and I went from ‘this guy will not play football any more’ to playing really good football in just a couple of weeks.”

Tottenham will next face Crystal Palace on Saturday, October 31, as Kulusevski continues his comeback after a difficult spell on the sidelines.