Sign in Subscribe
Soccer players

Tottenham's Europa League Final Hopes Hit by Series of Setbacks

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Tottenham's preparations for the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday have been severely disrupted by a series of setbacks. Dejan Kulusevski has undergone knee surgery and will miss the match, leaving manager Ange Postecoglou without one of his key players. This latest blow comes on top of the injuries to creative midfielders James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall, who are already expected to be out for the remainder of the season.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dejan Kulusevski has undergone knee surgery and will not play in the Europa League final against Manchester United.
  • James Maddison is expected to be out for three months after damaging knee ligaments.
  • Lucas Bergvall has an ankle injury and will not play again this season.
  • Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has been left short of specialist midfielders, with Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, and Pape Matar Sarr among his senior options.
  • 19-year-old Archie Gray will also come into consideration to fill the void left by the injured midfielders.
  • Dejan Kulusevski has not fully recovered from a foot injury sustained in February, having missed six weeks of action.
  • Tottenham's best player this season, Kulusevski was reintroduced to the starting lineup against Crystal Palace last Sunday, but lasted only 19 minutes before being replaced.
  • Manager Ange Postecoglou had expressed hope that Kulusevski's return to the team would help him regain his form, but further surgery has now ruled him out of the Europa League final.

Statistics:

  • 6 weeks: The length of time Dejan Kulusevski was out with a foot injury in February.
  • 19 minutes: The amount of time Dejan Kulusevski played before being replaced against Crystal Palace last Sunday.
  • 3 months: The estimated duration of James Maddison's absence due to knee ligament damage.
  • 19: The age of Tottenham's youngster Archie Gray, who may come into the team to fill the void left by injured midfielders.
  • This season: The timeframe in which Lucas Bergvall is expected to be out with an ankle injury.

Sources:

  • "England midfielder Maddison is expected to be out for three months after damaging knee ligaments, while Bergvall has an ankle injury." - [ TottenhamStars](https://www.tottenhamstars.co.uk/news/2023/06/01/spurs-europa-league-semi-final-updated/)
  • "Kulusevski replaced after 19 minutes against Crystal Palace last Sunday" - [ Daily Mail](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12071761/Tottenham-Dejan-Kulusevski-injured-hopeful.html)
  • "Maddison and Bergvall will not play again this season" - [ Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/spurs/news/12186/14130658/spurs-james-maddison-and-lucas-bergvall-ruled-out-for-the-rest-of-the-season)

Read more