Dejan Kulusevski has been pictured working with a ball as he continues his long road back from injury.

Kulusevski, who has been out for more than a year with a serious knee injury, featured among training ground footage released by Tottenham on Wednesday.

As did Mohammed Kudus, another injured Spurs winger, who has not played since a thigh injury in January.

Kulusevski’s progress will excite fans, but it is important to be aware he is not training with the first team and remains some way from any return to action.

He will be phased back with care in accordance with his long and complicated absence.

And boss Roberto De Zerbi wants to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on him by setting comeback targets for the 26-year-old.

Four-hundred-and-fifty days have passed since Kulusevski’s injury against Crystal Palace less than a month before Spurs won the Europa League.

The Swede underwent surgery and attended the Europa League final in a heavy-duty leg brace in May 2025. He did not kick a ball last season. 

Initially, there were hopes he might look to be back in December but there was still pain in the knee when he started to train.

A course of injections failed to clear the nagging problem, so he had another minor operation in March to tidy up debris in the joint. 

He missed the World Cup and the Spurs preseason tour to New Zealand and Australia.

While on tour, De Zerbi said: 'Kulusevski, fit and right, is one of the best players we have in the squad. 

'I wouldn’t like to put too much pressure on him to accelerate the process of rehab but I hope he can be available as early as possible.'

There is still some way to go but evidence of his return to training will give the Spurs family a lift as they prepare for the new season.