Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is hopeful that Dejan Kulusevski will be ready for the Europa League final against Manchester United on May 21.
Kulusevski was named in the starting lineup for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, the Sweden international was only able to play 19 minutes before he had to be replaced by Mikey Moore.
Spurs went on to suffer their 20th Premier League defeat of the season, losing 2-0 following a brace from Eberechi Eze.
With Spurs languishing in 17th position, their campaign rests on whether they can beat Man United in the Europa League final to end their 17-year trophy drought and secure Champions League qualification.
Postecoglou provides fresh Kulusevski update
Tottenham will want to have as many options as possible for the final in Bilbao, including the attacking talent of Kulusevski.
Postecoglou attempted to play down fears surrounding Kulusevski’s injury status when he spoke to reporters following the defeat to Palace.
The Tottenham boss was still optimistic when he provided a further update on Monday afternoon, although he admitted the attacker still needs to undergo further assessment.
“He was a bit sore this morning with his knee,” Postecoglou told reporters. “It looks like a knock at this stage.
“We are going to let it settle for 24 hours and then assess it, but the initial thing is it is more of a knock than anything more significant. Fingers crossed he is OK.”
Postecoglou makes Son selection admission
Spurs will be desperate to avoid another injury blow, having already seen James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall pick up season-ending injuries in the last couple of weeks.
In positive news, captain Son Heung-min returned from a seven-game injury absence to feature as a substitute against Palace.
The 32-year-old will hope to get more valuable minutes under his belt when Spurs travel to Villa Park for Friday’s meeting with Aston Villa.
However, Postecoglou has stressed that he will not let emotion be a factor in his decision whether to start Son in the Europa League final.
“It comes down to getting him ready to play and then making a decision,” Postecoglou said. “It’s nothing more than that.
“One thing I do know about finals is there are always moments and players who can change it, but it’s going to take a collective effort. It’s what we do as a team that will be much more important than individuals on the day.”
Son has made 44 competitive appearances for Tottenham this season, scoring 11 goals and 12 assists, including three goal contributions in nine Europa League matches.
