Tottenham Hotspur fans celebrated a major emotional victory last week as Dejan Kulusevski returned to competitive action following a grueling 526-day absence due to a complex knee injury suffered in May 2025. The 26-year-old winger has made two impressive substitute appearances in recent wins over Coventry and Chelsea. However, former Sweden international Anders Limpar has issued a firm warning to Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi, insisting the club must not rush the star back into the starting lineup.

Speaking to PariuriX.com, as reported by Football London, Limpar expressed relief over Kulusevski’s recovery while urging extreme patience during his reintegration into Premier League football:

“First of all, I have to say, thank God that he is back on the pitch. We all had bad thoughts that he was going to pack it all in and retire. But you can see that he’s a true professional. To be out for a couple of years and then get back into training is tough, so all credit to Dejan.”

Advice to Delay First Start Until Spring

Despite Kulusevski showing sharp bursts down the right flank in his brief cameos, Limpar stressed that building up full match rhythm after serious patella surgery takes several months. The 61-year-old recommended that Spurs hold off on placing the attacker in a starting XI until late in the campaign.

“It’s going to take a while because it’s so hard being out that amount of time, and then to suddenly come in and dominate the Premier League as he did when he was fit. If he starts to practice now, I can assure you that he’s going to be really good for Tottenham from next autumn.”

Limpar explained, warning of the mental and physical hurdles facing returning players:

“It’s going to take a while for him to get into the rhythm of things, and it’s going to take a while mentally wise too. If you’ve been out two years with an injury like that with the knee, he’s not going to sprint at 100 per cent for the first couple of games. He’s going to be a little bit more restricted, and be careful with the tackling, so he’s going to be afraid. If he can play some good reserve games and then have good training sessions, we can look for him to start a game in maybe March or April.”

Limpar’s cautious stance aligns directly with De Zerbi’s publicly stated strategy for managing his creative playmakers. Following Tottenham’s 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge, the Italian tactician reinforced that both Kulusevski and James Maddison require tailored care to ensure long-term stability.

“[James] Maddison and Kulusevski, we have to manage them like two diamonds, because both are special players.”

De Zerbi noted post-match.

“Both have different personalities, different experiences. With the medical staff, we have managed, step by step, day by day, week by week, staying on the pitch, because they are different players.”

As Spurs prepare to host Crystal Palace, the fixture in which Kulusevski suffered his knee setback 17 months ago, the priority remains safeguarding the Swede’s long-term career. With Limpar warning that any premature setback could prove career-ending, Tottenham appear fully committed to a gradual, patient integration process.