Roberto De Zerbi has revealed Dejan Kulusevski will be in the Tottenham matchday squad against Coventry, with the head coach describing the attacking midfielder's reaction to the news as a smile.
It is nearly a year-and-a-half since Kulusevski last played a competitive match for Spurs, though he did take part in an 11-a-side training match at Hotspur Way during the international break. A complicated kneecap injury has kept the Swede on the sidelines, but a return to action is now close.
Kulusevski missed out on a place in the Spurs squad against Manchester United last weekend, despite travelling to Old Trafford with the rest of his team-mates. That will not be the case on Monday night when Tottenham host Coventry in a must-win Premier League game, as De Zerbi has confirmed the midfielder has been cleared by the medical staff to be named among the substitutes.
De Zerbi on Kulusevski's Reaction
“Yes, Kulusevski on the bench. We had a meeting with the medical staff, they gave the okay and it's great news,” the Spurs head coach said in the pre-match press conference on Sunday morning.
“I think it's one of the best news after Everton game last season, because Deki, he suffered too much. He deserves to feel emotion on the pitch.
“Yesterday, after the training, I spoke with him and I said to him, ‘Deki, look, I spoke with the medical staff, and they gave me the okay’ and he smiled like this.
“We are happy, we are very, very happy. It's not football. I'm not speaking about football. Okay, he's a special player, but we are speaking about different things. He suffered a lot and his reaction was great.”
Spurs Absentees for Coventry Clash
While Kulusevski’s availability is a huge boost for Spurs, De Zerbi has revealed Savio, Lucas Bergvall and Pedro Porro are absent, joining the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur on the unavailable list.
