Tottenham Hotspur will be without midfielder Dejan Kulusevski for both legs of their Europa League round of 16 clash against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar due to injury0, Afrosport reports.
Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou on Wednesday ruled the Swede out of Thursday’s first leg encounter at the AFAS Stadium, adding that he is unlikely to return before this month’s international break.
Round of 16 action is next ⏳ pic.twitter.com/peoQ1Iyxlw
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 4, 2025
Postecoglou revealed that Kulusevski has a foot injury, which will also see him miss Tottenham’s home game against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday and potentially their trip to Fulham.
“Deki [Kulusevski] is the only one [who hasn’t travelled]. He’s got a knock on his foot. He’s not really sure when [it happened] to be honest,” said Postecoglou at his pre-match conference.
“It has been sore for the last few weeks. He was able to train and play, but it didn’t get any better, so further tests were necessary. We’re still waiting to find out the extent of the injury,” the Australian added.
Kulusevski has 10 goals and 10 assists across 42 games in all competitions this season for Spurs, including seven goals in the Premier League.
Tottenham, who are 13th in the Premier League standings, are out of the hunt for all three domestic titles, with the Europa League their only remaining source of silverware and an avenue to return to Europe next season.
The North London side will also be without Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, and Richarlison, who are all sidelined with injuries.
Tottenham, however, have Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Dominic Solanke back in the team, with the trio included in the travelling squad to Alkmaar.
