Dejan Kulusevski is back in the Sweden squad. Graham Potter named the Tottenham winger for the Nations League games with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Poland on Wednesday, more than 17 months after the knee injury that cost him the World Cup.
It is the next big step in a comeback that looked a long way off for most of the last year. Dejan Kulusevski damaged his patella in May 2025 and spent 526 days out before he finally returned as a substitute in last month’s 3-1 win over Coventry City.
Two more cameos followed, in the wins over Chelsea and Crystal Palace, and that was enough for Potter to bring the 26-year-old back into the national team picture.
What did Graham Potter say about Kulusevski?
The Sweden boss could hardly hide how pleased he was. Speaking as the squad was announced, Potter said: “Fantastic! We are very happy to have him back, he is an important player for us both on and off the pitch.”
He also paid tribute to how Kulusevski had dealt with the long months on the sidelines: “It has been well documented how tough his journey has been. We are all impressed by how he has managed to hold it together, fight on and get through all of this, which has not been easy. He has handled the challenge in an exemplary manner and has made both himself and his family proud.”
Back in September, Potter had made it clear the decision would be led by Spurs. “He is progressing step by step. First, he needs to return to playing with Tottenham, and they are the ones who have the final say,” he said at the time. “When he is not playing with his club, it is difficult for us to call him up even if we want to. He is a top-class player, and we respect his situation.”
Sweden’s November games and the rest of the squad
Kulusevski has 45 caps and five goals for his country, and he joins a Sweden side that have 10 points from their first four Nations League games. They host Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Strawberry Arena on November 14, then finish the group away to Poland on November 17. The squad meets up on Monday and prepares in Valencia before the first game.
Anthony Elanga is also back after a short injury lay-off, and there are first call-ups for Strasbourg right-back Genesis Antwi and Fiorentina’s Alieu Njie. Lucas Bergvall is not in the squad.
There is a Leeds United link too. Gabriel Gudmundsson has been named, so Kulusevski could come up against a Sweden teammate on Saturday before the pair head off on international duty together.
A careful build-up at Tottenham
Spurs have managed his minutes closely, and whether he actually plays for Sweden is still to be seen. He has come off the bench in all three of his appearances so far, as Roberto De Zerbi builds his fitness one game at a time.
That has worked well for both player and team. Tottenham have won all three of those games, and they head to Elland Road on Saturday chasing a fourth straight Premier League win, as covered in our Leeds vs Tottenham preview. Kick-off is at 12.30pm UK time, and it is the last game before the international break.
Kulusevski spoke openly last week about how dark the road back had been. “It had been like one year and a couple of months and I still can’t walk on the stairs,” he said. “I can’t walk on the stairs like a normal guy. I have to play football so in my head I’m not going to give up, but I have to think that if this doesn’t work out, what do I do?”
The turning point came with a physio in Sweden. “He was able to change my nervous system and then it felt different,” Kulusevski explained. “I went from, ‘this guy will not play football any more,’ to playing really good football in just a couple of weeks.”
Why Kulusevski’s Sweden recall matters for Spurs
For Tottenham, a national team call-up is the clearest outside sign yet that this comeback is real. Potter only wanted him once he was playing for his club again, and now he is.
The timing matters. De Zerbi’s side are winning, but the goals have not come from the strikers, and a fully fit Kulusevski gives the attack something it has been missing for a very long time: a wide player who can create and finish.
The only worry is workload. A first international camp in well over a year will be tempting for him, and Spurs will hope Sweden treat him as carefully as they have. If they do, De Zerbi could have a genuine extra option for the run of games after the break.
