Why Graham Potter wants serious talks with Tottenham after Dejan Kulusevski injury update
Graham Potter has shared some positive injury news about Tottenham Hotspur's Dejan Kulusevski.
The Sweden manager has been without the winger since he was appointed back in October.
But Spurs fans have had to wait far longer for the 26-year-old, whose last game for the club came in a league fixture against Crystal Palace in May of 2025.
Kulusevski had surgery following the injury to his patella, and subsequently missed the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign for the Lilywhites.
A lot has changed since then, with several managers coming in and leaving, as Roberto De Zerbi awaits the return of the Swede.
But Potter has admitted that he now needs to speak with both Tottenham and Kulusevski, but there are plenty of reasons why De Zerbi should not pick up the phone.
Why Roberto De Zerbi should ignore Graham Potter after latest on Dejan Kulusevski
While speaking to Swedish media outlet SVT Sport, Potter revealed the latest injury news on Kulusevski.
The Sweden boss said: "He's very close, actually. I'm so impressed with him, how he handled his injury.
"Of course, we have to be careful with him. I hope he will come with us, but we have to talk to Dejan and Tottenham first.
"He is incredibly important for the team. We love him, his character and qualities. He's a world-class player, and it helps a lot to have them with him."
Potter is hoping that the right-winger is available to play for Sweden in the Nations League during the three-week international break, which starts later in September.
But this is something that Tottenham should not even discuss.
Kulusevski has been injured for over 480 days now and has missed 59 games for Spurs during that period.
Potter is right about his importance, but that's exactly why Tottenham should not even think about letting him go play for his country yet
The stats that make Tottenham's Kulusevski decision easier
Kulusevski has taken big steps at Hotspur Way since pre-season, and looks to be getting closer to a return to action.
However, the former Juventus star has yet to play a competitive minute for the Lilywhites, so letting him feature for Sweden first would be crazy.
The versatile forward totalled a whopping 21 goals and assists combined in 50 games during the 2024-25 season, averaging 2.5 chances created per game in the league.
He completed 1.43 dribbles in the league per 90 minutes, also having 1.77 shots on goal, overperforming his xG by 2.73 after scoring seven in the top flight.
Kulusevski's presence has sorely been missed in the final third, and could be the final piece to De Zerbi's puzzle.
Sorry, Potter, but don't get your hopes up too high.