Kulusevski rejected knee transplant and key Zlatan Ibrahimovic advice changed everything in injury hell

Kulusevski rejected a knee transplant and sought specialist help in Serbia after two failed operations, eventually returning to action in October after 500+ days out.

Dejan Kulusevski has opened up on his gruelling 18-month recovery from a serious right knee injury sustained at the end of the 2024/25 season. The Tottenham winger suffered damage to his patella and cartilage, requiring two operations that initially failed to resolve the issue.

At one stage, doctors proposed a knee transplant that would have sidelined him for potentially another 18 months with uncertain odds of success. Kulusevski rejected the procedure, instead taking advice from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to consult a specialist in Serbia.

That decision proved pivotal: the Serbian doctor identified the problem as rooted in his nervous system and trauma to the body rather than a straightforward structural injury, allowing targeted treatment that eventually eliminated the pain.

Kulusevski returned to competitive action against Coventry City on October 19 and has since made four appearances for Spurs off the bench. He credited the support of eight specialists, his family, and his own mental resilience in pushing through moments when he doubted recovery was possible, describing training sessions where he would work ten hours daily with no apparent progress.