Danny Murphy drew a hard line around Dejan Kulusevski’s comeback hopes by pointing to Fernando Torres as a player who never fully found his old level after a serious knee injury. The warning lands as Tottenham try to work out whether Kulusevski can return after more than 12 months away and still matter in the 2026-27 campaign.
Murphy told GOAL, “I don't think there's a generic rule to that.” He added: “I think the longer you're out, the harder it gets to recapture and get back. Some players never get it back. I remember Fernando Torres after his bad knee injury at Liverpool and then he went to Chelsea and just couldn't find the same form. Arguably, Rodri hasn't really hit the heights since he's come back and he was out quite a long time.”
Fernando Torres and Ruud
The comparison was not a one-way warning. Murphy also used Ruud van Nistelrooy as the counterpoint, saying: “I remember the best example was probably Ruud van Nistelrooy doing his knee and then delaying his transfer to Man United and when he did eventually get there he was an incredible player - and Alan Shearer came back from a bad knee injury and banged in loads of goals.”
That split matters for Kulusevski because Tottenham are not dealing with a short layoff or a routine return. He last played a competitive match on May 11, 2025, when he was forced off inside the opening 20 minutes against Crystal Palace. He has not played a single minute in the 2025-26 campaign.
Dejan Kulusevski and Tottenham
The absence has stretched beyond a year, and the medical picture has been complicated by a patella problem and multiple surgeries. For Tottenham, the question is not just whether he comes back, but whether he comes back with the same edge that made him a major attacking option before the injury run.
Murphy said the club are likely to give him the chance to prove it. “I think he will be there and get the opportunity because nobody's really going to take the risk on taking somebody who's been out for more than a year and paying wages where he's obviously on a decent contract at Tottenham. So I think he'll get the opportunity at Tottenham to recapture his form and it could be like signing a new player.”
That leaves Tottenham with a narrow test once pre-season begins: if Kulusevski can build up cleanly, he can push toward a place in the squad when Premier League football resumes in August. If the recovery stalls, Murphy’s Torres comparison shows how quickly a long absence can change the ceiling.
