Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou remains hopeful that Dejan Kulusevski will be available for the upcoming Europa League final against Manchester United, despite the forward limping off early during Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace.
Eberechi Eze scored both goals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, handing Spurs their 20th Premier League defeat of the season — their worst-ever tally in the competition’s history. The dismal result leaves the north London club hovering just above the relegation zone in 17th place.
Despite domestic woes, Tottenham are preparing for a Europa League showdown in Bilbao on 21 May, after comfortably dispatching Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
Kulusevski’s injury added to a growing list of absentees for Spurs, who have already lost Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison to season-ending injuries. But Postecoglou moved to calm fears, suggesting the issue was not serious.
“The medical staff don’t think it’s too bad — just a knock, really. We’re optimistic he’ll be fine,” Postecoglou said after the match.
The Australian boss acknowledged the disappointing nature of the display against Palace, particularly after making eight changes to rest key players for the final.
“Some players had a chance to stake a claim for the final, but there wasn’t much evidence that anyone really grabbed that opportunity,” he admitted. “Football doesn’t always present chances in the perfect way. You’ve got to be ready when they come.”
Postecoglou left several first-team regulars out of the matchday squad entirely, including Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, and Dominic Solanke, as well as defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who were rested on the bench.
While some fans criticised the high number of losses this season, Postecoglou defended his rotation strategy, emphasising the physical toll of European competition.
“People keep bringing up the record for defeats, but surely it’s obvious — our results would’ve been a lot better without the added demands. It’s not rocket science. Either people see that or they don’t.”
