Surprise surgery rules Tottenham star out of Europa League Final | OneFootball

Tottenham midfielder Dejan Kulusevski will miss his side’s Europa League final against Manchester United after undergoing knee surgery.

The Sweden international had expected to be fit after manager Ange Postecoglou reported positively after the player sustained ‘a knock’ in the weekend home defeat by Crystal Palace.

Postecoglou is already without fellow midfielders James Maddison (knee) and Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and now the club have confirmed their star 25-year-old creator will also miss what is left of the season – including the 21 May final in Bilbao.

A statement released by the club read:

“We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend.

“Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately.”

The new will come as a blow to both Tottenham players and supporters, who have battled through a miserable Premier League season together.

They go to Aston Villa on Friday night just one place above the relegation zone and one place below 16th placed Manchester United.

The London side have not lost to United since 2022, however, and won all three of their meetings so far this season. An upbeat Postecoglou has promised the club a trophy at the end of his second season in charge.

Victory in Bilbao next week would mark a first trophy triumph since a League Cup win in 2008. They last won a European trophy in 1984.

Manchester United are also missing a host of key players to long-term issues and Ruben Amorim is still hoping Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot will be fit in time. None of them trained, however, when the club hosted their Europa League media day at their Carrington training ground on Wednesday.

Tottenham have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.