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More than 2.6 million people have scrolled past Kenny McEvoy over the past 24 hours after his uncanny resemblance to Gareth Bale was brought up on social media for what feels like the umpteenth time.

“It’s still mental to me that this bloke wasn’t Gareth Bale,” wrote X user @THEZONEEEEEE, who also posted four pictures of the former Republic of Ireland youth international from his Tottenham days.

McEvoy never made a senior appearance across his five-year spell at Spurs, with two cameos on the subs bench during their 2013-14 Europa League campaign being the closest he got to first-team minutes.

He went on to play for York City, Waterford and South Normanton Athletic after his spell in North London came to an end, but those Bale comparisons continue to linger, a decade after leaving Tottenham.

Kenny McEvoy was relieved after ‘finally’ being released by Tottenham

On the 3rd of January, 2016, McEvoy thanked Tottenham for "finally" agreeing to let him go. At the time, McEvoy was playing for League Two side York City in what was his fourth loan spell in the space of two years.

He previously spent time on loan at Peterborough, Colchester and Stevenage.

"In my own head I made the decision five months ago that I wanted to go elsewhere to start my career as a first-team player, as I did not see it happening at Tottenham no matter how much effort I gave it," he wrote on Twitter, as per Sky Sports.

"I can't thank my lawyer enough for helping me get out and Tottenham agreed a month ago to finally let me go.

"The decision was purely my own and, wherever I go next, I know that I will be happy playing as a first-team player, and I'll have the chance to prove people wrong that have ever doubted me."

He added: "Thank you to the fans at Tottenham that did support me. I appreciate every one of you. Let's see where the future takes us."

McEvoy would go on to join York City permanently but after a solid run in the first-team, he left at the end of the 2015-16 campaign before signing for East Midlands Counties League side South Normanton Athletic.

A productive spell at the Derby-based club followed and in January 2017, a number of clubs expressed an interest, including League of Ireland giants Sligo Rovers and Waterford. He opted for the latter.

Kenny McEvoy last played a game of professional football in 2017

McEvoy ended up spending just six months at hometown club Waterford before leaving the club by mutual consent. According to Extra Time, he took a full-time job in England to support his young family.

“I would like to thank the management team for being so understanding with my decision to leave the club," he said in a statement. "I was given an opportunity I couldn’t pass up on which means my family could settle for the first time in four years."

According to his LinkedIn page, McEvoy is currently working as a managing consultant at Ford & Stanley, a UK-based specialist talent services and recruitment group.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly 'considering' new managers following Roberto de Zerbi's disastrous start to the season.

After a disastrous season that saw them just narrowly dodge relegation from the Premier League, Spurs went big during the summer transfer window, spending around £380million gross on ten new players.

It therefore has come as a huge disappointment to Spurs fans to see the club struggling perhaps more than ever, leading the club to reportedly consider sacking De Zerbi just five games into the Premier League season.

Spurs 'considering' new manager after Roberto de Zerbi's poor start

One month after the start of the season, Spurs are still searching for their first Premier League win a they heading into a three-week international break, with only two points with zero wins and a pair of goalless draws.

Not only this, but the London club have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup having lost to Liverpool 3-1 in the third round.

In light of this, Spanish outlet Fichajes have reported that Spurs are already looking for a manager to succeed De Zerbi, leaving the door open to sack him should they believe it to be necessary.

The report claims that after a 2-3 defeat to Aston Villa that dropped them into the relegation zone, the Italian manager's position is becoming increasingly in danger.

But, one thing that may make the possibility of sacking De Zerbi more difficult is his contract, which reportedly runs until 2031.

Surprisingly, it is believed that the deal does not include a break clause, even if Tottenham are relegated at the end of the season, meaning Spurs would have to fork out a figure well north of £10m if they were to dismiss De Zerbi early.

Of course, this figure could be reduced if De Zerbi and Spurs were to come to a mutual agreement, but at this stage of the season, that would be highly unlikely.

With that in mind, the report claims that, as it stands, Spurs will not sack De Zerbi over the international break, but will instead use the break to assess other managers and the cost of maintaining or terminating his contract.

Former Premier League manager early favourite to replace De Zerbi as Spurs manager

As always, should Spurs be on the market for a new manager, former boss Mauricio Pochettino is likely to be linked with a blockbuster return.

But, with the 54-year-old currently employed as the head coach of the United States men's national team, it is actually another ex-Premier League manager that has emerged as the early favourite to take over at Spurs, should the job become available.

After leaving his role as Newcastle United manager shortly before the start of the season, Eddie Howe has kept a relatively low profile.

During his spell of close to five years, Howe led Newcastle into the UEFA Champions League twice and helped them win the Carabao Cup and therefore will no doubt be at the top of several clubs lists should they be searching for a new manager.

This is why the 48-year-old is currently believed to be the front runner to replace De Zerbi at Spurs if he is sacked sometime in the near future.

Whether or not the Englishman would take the job remains to be seen.

A truly embarrassing statistic linking Tottenham Hotspur to music superstar Beyonce has emerged after their dismal start to the season.

On Saturday afternoon, Spurs suffered yet another loss as Aston Villa got the better of the home side in a 3-2 match at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

The loss means Spurs have now won just one of their seven fixtures so far this season, a 5-1 victory over Charlton in the Carabao Cup, meaning the massive Tottenham Hotspur stadium has still seen more Beyonce concerts than home wins in nearly two years.

Why Beyonce has enjoyed more success at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium than Spurs

After the opening five Premier League matches of the season, Spurs are currently sitting dead last heading into a three-week international break, with zero wins and just two points thanks to a pair of goalless draws.

The poor start comes after Spurs invested heavily during the summer transfer window, splashing out around £380m gross on ten new players such as Sandro Tonali, Omar Marmoush and Mateus Fernandes.

Having suffered consecutive 17th-place finishes, expectations were high heading into 2026/27 but things couldn't have gone much worse.

And perhaps most alarming is that Spurs are still trailing Beyonce for success in their home ground in recent years.

On June 5, 7, 10, 12, 14 and 16 2025, Beyonce held six sold-out concerts at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, touring her new Cowboy Carter album.

More than 275,000 attendees attended each of the shows, with the stint estimated to have generated around £7.5m per concert.

But why is this relevant?

Well, these six huge concerts mean that, from November 2024 until today, Tottenham Hotspur stadium has hosted more Beyonce concerts than home league wins (five).

The five wins have come from 36 league matches played at the stadium.

To put that in perspective, since the top-flight of English football was founded back in 1888 no other team have endured such a poor run of form at home while remaining in the top division.

Roberto de Zerbi lashes out after Spurs' latest home defeat

It is therefore understandable why tensions are high at Spurs right now, a feeling epitomised by manager Roberto De Zerbi's post-match interview following the loss to Aston Villa.

Under the leadership of the Italian manager, Spurs have won two of their seven home fixtures, against Charlton at the start of this season and the 1–0 win over Everton that secured their Premier League survival on 24 May 2026.

When asked to reflect on the most recent home loss, De Zerbi described his side as 'fragile' admitting that they need to work harder if they are to improve this season.

"I think we could score in the first half many, many times," De Zerbi told TNT Sports post-match. "We concede the goal, but we had to stay more focused in defending that situation.

"In the second half, we concede a goal from the goal kick. Before that, we score an offside goal, and the third goal is a great goal from Buendia. We played well in the first half but we didn't score. But too fragile.

"If we didn't score, it's my responsibility. We've got to work harder. Football is like life - you are strong or you lose."

"I can't speak before my time, I can speak only on my work. Like I said, we have to improve the quality of the play, but be stronger, otherwise... the game is not 90 minutes in ball possession, 90 minutes in the last third.

"During the game, there are situations where we have to stay closer, we have to stay stronger, we have to defend better ball on ball. And we didn't, or we didn't in the right way."

Spurs travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10 in their first match following the international break before hosting the newly-promoted Coventry City in their next home game on October 19.

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi has branded his team as 'too fragile' after they suffered a 3-2 defeat at home to Aston Villa - with the Italian criticised for what he did after full-time.

Villa went 3-0 ahead through goals from Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendia to effectively end the game as a contest towards the end of the second half.

Spurs did score what proved to be two consolation goals late on through Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke but the result was by then secure - and De Zerbi's actions post-match have got people talking.

Roberto De Zerbi called out over Spurs full-time decision

Rather than face the Spurs faithful after the match or speak to his players, De Zerbi walked straight down the tunnel after shaking hands with Aston Villa boss Unai Emery.

There was a scattering of boos among the home faithful at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after yet another match without victory.

Spurs could end the weekend bottom of the Premier League if both Fulham and Coventry pick up victories.

The Italian was criticised by a number of fans online for his decision not to join his players in applauding the Spurs fans - even if a significant number of them had decided to leave with the score at 3-0 on 83 minutes.

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'Too fragile...' - De Zerbi reacts to Aston Villa defeat

"I think we could score in the first half many, many times," De Zerbi told TNT Sports post-match. "We concede the goal, but we had to stay more focused in defending that situation.

"In the second half, we concede a goal from the goal kick. Before that, we score an offside goal, and the third goal is a great goal from Buendia. We played well in the first half but we didn't score. But too fragile.

"If we didn't score, it's my responsibility. We've got to work harder. Football is like life - you are strong or you lose."

READ NEXT: Video of Spurs warming up before Aston Villa defeat suggests why they hadn't scored Premier League goal

"I can't speak before my time, I can speak only on my work. Like I said, we have to improve the quality of the play, but be stronger, otherwise... the game is not 90 minutes in ball possession, 90 minutes in the last third. During the game, there are situations where we have to stay closer, we have to stay stronger, we have to defend better ball on ball. And we didn't, or we didn't in the right way."

Tottenham Hotspur have not made an ideal start to the Premier League campaign as they sit just outside the relegation zone.

Spurs fans are yet to see their side score a goal, let alone collect three points via a victory and this may lead to worries that the club is in for a third straight season near the foot of the table.

Now, concern may grow further after a video of the Spurs team warming up before their game with Aston Villa was posted to social media.

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Video of Spurs’ warming up before Aston Villa match may worry fans

Spurs and Aston Villa are currently battling it out in the Premier League with the scoreline 0-1 at the break to Unai Emery's team, the goal coming from Johan Manzambi in addition time at the end of the half.

Neither side have made a good start to their league campaign, as between the two sides they have only registered two goals, this being for Emery’s side.

However, if Villa can hold onto this result until fulltime they may look at this the point where their season truly began.

Meanwhile Spurs supporters are still waiting to see their team hit the back of the net in the division, but after a video of their warm-up ahead of this clash between the two sides near the foot of the table was posted on social media, concerns of their fan base may grow.

In a video posted to X, it shows the players are seen doing a shooting drill 15 minutes before kick-off.

From the footage in the clip, only six of the 21 shots hit the target, a sight no fan will want to see as they search for better luck in front of goal.

In the first half, Roberto De Zerbi’s team’s accuracy seemed to improve slightly despite not scoring a goal, as four of their nine attempts hit the target.

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Spurs fans react to the warm up ahead of Aston Villa clash

While it may be expected that there would be some concern about the lack of shots on target, the majority of the opinions seem to be looking for the brighter and more optimistic view that they were just getting rid of all the bad efforts before the match.

One supporter said: “They probably save it for the game.”

Another added: “Get the misses out of the way early , good thinking.”

With a third supporter agreeing as they wrote: “Just getting it out of their system. Seen them hit the target a lot in prematch and then couldn’t hit barn door during so let’s hope it’s the reverse!”

Now, it must be noted that despite their optimism Spurs still did not score a goal in the first half of their game with Villa.

So, the pessimists from viewing this footage, while they will be feeling vindicated in their concerns, will not be pleased that this may indicate another season of woe at White Hart Lane.

One supporter said: “No pressure from 15 yards and they're delivering those results lol.”

Another said: “Sums it right up.”

While one individual simply said: “Long story short. It’s over!”

Spurs have taken a key step to ensure they are protected legally amid Richarlison's messy situation at the club.

The Brazilian began the season leading the line for Spurs in the first game of the season, where Roberto De Zerbi's men were beaten 3-0 by Brentford.

But with an influx of new attacking additions, Richarlison was omitted from the club's Premier League squad after demanding to leave Tottenham Hotspur.

It then emerged that Richarlison's lawyers were looking to take legal action in a bid to force termination of his contract, which runs until June 2027 with the option to extend.

It was widely reported that his representatives were exploring whether they could involve FIFA, in an effort to force an imminent departure given his situation.

READ NEXT: Richarlison transfer saga thrown into chaos after new twist with rarely-used FIFA law in play

What have Spurs done to protect themselves legally in Richarlison saga?

With no future at the club, the expectation is that he will not be involved in the first-team in any capacity, and would therefore spend time with the Under-21's.

However, on Friday, Bruno Andrade reported for ESPN Brazil that Richarlison returned to first-team training and will not be with the reserves.

The journalist noted that the move from Spurs is a careful one, that helps them in regards to Richarlison's camp talking to the club about potentially ripping up his contract, as their willingness to have him in the first-team strengthens their legal stance.

Richarlison's issues statement as £20 million transfer away from Spurs collapses

With most transfer windows in Europe closing, Richarlison looked set to join Mo Salah at Trabzonspor, but a deal did not materialise.

The next development was a mooted move back to his native Brazil with Vasco de Gama. The Times reported that Spurs accepted a £20 million offer from Vasco ahead of the Brazilian transfer deadline at 4am.

But Richarlison could not agree personal terms and that transfer also collapsed. Reports in Brazil stated that Vasco were looking for a contract arrangement which would include a long-term deal, but be paid in instalments.

However, it's understood that Richarlison only wanted a short stint back in Brazil with his boyhood club, potentially for three or months before heading back to Europe or the Middle East.

That deal is therefore dead in the water and the only real option for Richarlison to move now is Qatar, where the window is still open.

He issued a statement on the matter, taking to Instagram to say: "We were very close to me signing with Vasco. My team, the team of my whole family.

"It was a close call. I had made it very clear to Pedrinho and Felipe from the beginning of the conversation that I wanted to play for Vasco until December. When other clubs and other offers came up, I made it clear that they were my priority.

"This time, it was a close call. Unfortunately, Tottenham reached the loan limit, so it didn't work out either. But that's it. I wanted to thank you, the Vasco fans, who sent many kind messages."

According to Global Sports Advocates, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) uses Swiss labor law principles when deciding whether 'just cause' applies to a contract termination.

For Richarlison, 'absence of player registration' is the most relevant element following his exclusion.

The future of Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has taken yet another major twist over recent hours - with his options until January rapidly beginning to run out.

A deal between Everton and Spurs for Richarlison to rejoin the Toffees fell through before deadline day, with the Brazilian stating he wanted to return to his former club but that 'negotiations were being driven by what others wanted'.

Since then, he has been left out of Spurs' 25-man Premier League squad - though he is still training with the first team - and now a move back to Brazil with Vasco da Gama appears to be off.

READ NEXT: Richarlison issues public statement over Spurs and Everton transfer claims

Richarlison transfer now 'ruled out'

Vasco, one of Brazilian football's most historic clubs, had been desperately trying to sign Richarlison before their transfer window closed on September 11.

According to O Globo, Vasco could not afford Spurs' asking price for the striker and had therefore resorted to convincing him to terminate his contract.

But the report also claimed that Vasco were pursuing an unusual contract arrangement with Richarlison, whereby he would sign a long-term deal but be paid in instalments, with a different club potentially taking on those payments if the 28-year-old decided to move clubs again at the end of the season. It is also claimed that they had offered 'a larger signing bonus and a share of any future sale'.

A deal for Richarlison clearly would have been significant for Brazilian football, with Santos having enticed Neymar back to what was his first professional club last year.

But in a new update, Globo say that Richarlison has rejected the offer of a long-term contract with Vasco and that the club have now 'ruled out' a transfer.

What can Richarlison do now?

It appears as if Richarlison is now likely to stay at Spurs for the rest of 2026. He had been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, but their window closed on September 6.

Whether the Brazilian can terminate his contract is unclear. FIFA does not allow players to register with a new club if their existing contract has been terminated outside of a transfer window, except in specific circumstances.

As per Global Sports Advocates, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) uses Swiss labor law principles when deciding whether 'just cause' applies to a contract termination.

That includes 'persistent' non-payment of wages, failure to provide adequate training facilities and 'breach of other material contractual terms'.

The third point is the one that could relate to Richarlison, as it notes examples such as 'absence of player registration, when registration is cancelled or the athlete is not registered to national championships'. As mentioned above, Richarlison is not part of Spurs' 25-man Premier League squad and can therefore only play in domestic cup competitions until January at the earliest.

There is a possible precedent, with former Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi unilaterally terminating his contract with Al Hilal last September after being left out of their Saudi Pro League squad. He subsequently signed for Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro - though did not join them until the end of December.

In a club statement, Al Hilal said the club had 'received after his [Lodi's] departure a letter from his legal representative notifying them of the termination of his active contract with the club'.

What FIFA's Article 6 states about contract terminations

Article 6 of FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, concerning player regulations and updated in January 2025, reads: "A professional who has unilaterally terminated their contract with just cause, or whose contract has been unilaterally terminated without just cause by their club, may be registered outside a registration period.

"Upon receipt of the ITC request, the FIFA general secretariat shall expeditiously assess on a prima facie basis whether the unilateral termination occurred with or without just cause and permit or deny the registration accordingly. Such prima facie assessment is without prejudice to a decision of the Football Tribunal about the consequences of the termination of contract."

Mauricio Pochettino recently called for Chelsea to be stripped of their 2016-17 Premier League title, and precedent does exist for Tottenham Hotspur to receive the trophy belatedly.

Pochettino, who coached both Chelsea and Spurs prior to his appointment with the USMNT, has called for the Blues to be stripped of their 2016-17 Premier League title, which they won with 93 points.

That title arrived under Antonio Conte, with Poch’s Spurs in second on 86 points. If Chelsea were to be stripped of their crown, precedent does exist for the North London club to receive it — but that outcome is far from certain.

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Could Tottenham actually be awarded Chelsea's 2017 Premier League title?

Pochettino recently claimed that Tottenham Hotspur “didn’t compete with the same rules” as Chelsea, after the Blues admitted to making £47 million in undisclosed payments between 2011 and 2018.

However, it remains unlikely that Spurs will receive a redistributed Premier League trophy, as the case against Chelsea to be stripped of their title is weak.

At the time, the Premier League did not impose a sporting sanction on Chelsea, rather their punishment was enforced financially, and through transfer bans.

In July, the club was fined £10 million, and given a suspended two-window transfer ban, for breaching rules related to agent payments between 2009 and 2022.

The English top-flight recalculated Chelsea’s accounts from the time, and determined that the undisclosed payments in question would not have caused a PSR breach.

And while the now-concluded disciplinary decision could be reopened, it remains unlikely, with Chelsea’s punishments having already been imposed.

And if the Blues were stripped of their title, there is no guarantee that Tottenham Hotspur would automatically inherit the Premier League trophy — precedent exists in both their favour, and against it.

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What happened when football titles have previously been stripped from clubs?

The precedent in question was established in the Italian top-flight, as Serie A titles were stripped from Juventus in 2004-05 and 2005-06 amid doping allegations.

That scandal, an infamously dark moment in Italian football history, spiralled from doping accusations, to an investigation into match-fixing agreements held between Juventus staff and Serie A officials.

Among the offences were Juventus match-assigned referees being favourable to the Serie A champions, pressuring officials to make decisions that benefited the Old Lady, and issuing punishments that rendered opposition players unable to face Fabio Capello’s side.

As a result, Juventus were stripped of two successive Serie A titles, but the decisions did not align. For 2004-05, the trophy remained unassigned, while in 2005-06, the honour was redistributed to Inter.

Therefore, the Serie A’s established precedent makes it unclear as to whether Spurs would see the Premier League trophy passed to them from Chelsea — the likelihood being a coin flip.

Pochettino believes any outcome barring Tottenham Hotspur receiving the title would be incorrect, stating: “We should win one title, one Premier League. We should have been awarded it.

"[Chelsea] were punished, they admitted, so that's it? The title should be for the team that was second. It's not me complaining. It's the truth. If they admitted they broke the rules, the Premier League title was for the second best team.

"I'm not scared to say the truth. The Chelsea fans will be upset with me because I'm saying this, but if we were at Tottenham and broke the rules I'd admit the same,” concluded the 54-year-old.

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Time will tell whether Pochettino’s wish will come true, but even if Chelsea’s case was to be re-opened, Spurs receiving the 2016-17 Premier League title is anything but a certainty.

Mauricio Pochettino has called for his former club Chelsea to be stripped of a Premier League title in a new bombshell interview.

Pochettino had one season in charge at Chelsea in the 2023/24 season, before he left via a mutual agreement following a sixth-placed finish.

But his best work in England came with Spurs, who he led to consecutive second-placed finishes in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns.

Spurs recorded 86 points but lost out to Antonio Conte Chelsea's, who recovered from a shaky start to win the title by seven points.

Mauricio Pochettino calls out Chelsea rule breaches in extraordinary interview

However, nearly a decade on and Pochettino has claimed he should be a Premier League champion as he spoke out about Chelsea being punished.

In March, Chelsea, having been charged by the Premier League for breaches of competition rules, were hit with a £10.75 million fine.

The fine would have been £20 million but was reduced by 50% because Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital self-reported 74 breaches of Football Association rules when they bought Chelsea in 2022.

A six points deduction was not applied upon appeal after Chelsea admitted to making £47 million in secret payments to unregistered agents and third-parties regarding transfers between 2011 and 2018.

Transfers involving Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o, Willian, Ramires, David Luiz, Andre Schurrle and Nemanja Matic were in the Premier League's report and all four of those aforementioned players played in Chelsea's title triumph.

None of the players are implicated or accused of any wrongdoing.

Speaking to UK media outlets, including the BBC, Pochettino said: "We should win one title, one Premier League. We should have been awarded it. "They were punished, they admitted, so that's it? The title should be for the team that was second.

"It's true that we didn't compete with the same rules. OK, now we can say that they scored goals, they won games, and like this. OK, that's it, but it's completely fair to say that we didn't compete before the start of the season with the same card.

"Maybe with the same rules, if we apply the same things, maybe we could've signed some players that would have made the team better or scored more goals. It's not me complaining. It's the truth. If they admitted they broke the rules, the Premier League title was for the second best team.

"I'm not scared to say the truth. The Chelsea fans will be upset with me because I'm saying this, but if we were at Tottenham and broke the rules I'd admit the same."

How else were Chelsea punished for rule breaches?

On top of the reduced fine, Chelsea received two transfer bans. A one-year ban was suspended for two years, while there also a nine-month suspension on signing academy players imposed.

This punishment, which also carried a £750,000 fine, was in relation to the registration of academy players between 2019 and 2022.

The Premier League acknowledged Chelsea's "exceptional cooperation" and "pro-active self-reporting".

Pochettino is currently managing of the United States national team and took charge at the World Cup on home soil in the summer.

Dejan Kulusevski is finally nearing a return to action after a injury nightmare totalling 16 months, his international manager Graham Potter has confirmed.

The Sweden international has not played since May 2025 after suffering a knee injury, which ultimately caused him to miss the entirety of last season.

He returned to first-team training with Spurs at the beginning of September, and Potter has stated that he is hopeful of being able to call the 26-year-old up to the Sweden squad for the upcoming international break.

When Dejan Kulusevski could return to football revealed

Sweden will contest four Nations League matches as part of an unusually elongated international break, which runs between September 21 and October 6.

They face Romania at home on September 25, before hosting Poland on September 28.

Two away fixtures then follow against Bosnia and Herzegovina (October 2) and Poland (October 6).

Given he is not yet under consideration for a Spurs comeback under Roberto De Zerbi, Potter says Kulusevski is 'very close' to a return - and wants to reach an agreement with Spurs' medical staff for him to feature in the above fixtures if he is passed fit to do so.

"He's very close. I'm so impressed with him, how he's handled his injury," Potter told Swedish outlet SVT. "Of course, we have to be careful with him.

"I hope he comes with us, but we have to talk to Dejan and Tottenham first.

"The importance of getting Dejan Kulusevski into the national team cannot be emphasised enough. He is incredibly important to the team. We love him, his character and qualities. He is a world-class player and it helps enormously to have him around."

Dejan Kulusevski's complex knee injury explained

Kulusevski underwent surgery on his a right patella injury at the end of the 2024/25 season, with it initially being expected that he would be out for several months.

His absence continued as last season wore on, however, with the lack of updates on his condition leaving Spurs fans concerned.

The 26-year-old had further surgery in March, but did not return to fitness in time to play a part in this summer's World Cup.

In May, following the nation's World Cup squad announcement, Sweden's team doctor Jonas Werner explained the complexity of Kulusevski's injury and exactly why it had taken him so long to recover.

"He hasn't played football in a year, but even the medical assessments made this spring have pointed in the direction that he wouldn't be ready [for the World Cup]," Werner said, as per Fotbollskanalen.

"Cartilage injuries, like in Dejan's case, are troublesome. They are difficult to treat. Plus, he has it in a place that gets a lot of stress. The injury simply hasn't healed enough to handle that stress."

Following Spurs' 0-0 draw away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, manager De Zerbi said Kulusevski had suffered a 'small, small problem' on his return to training but was still making positive strides in the final stages of his recovery.