Tottenham confirm huge Dejan Kulusevski injury blow ahead of Europa League final | OneFootball

The Swede’s injury turned out to be more severe than Ange Postecoglou first thought

Ruled out: Dejan Kulusevski

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Kulusevski suffered the injury in a heavy challenge from Palace captain Marc Guehi in the first 20 minutes and head coach Ange Postecoglou was initially hopeful it was "just a knock."

Injured: Dejan Kulusevski will miss the Europa League final

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Spurs did not put a timeframe on the 25-year-old's return to action, with Postecoglou expected to provide an update on Thursday, but he will miss the remaining three games of the campaign, including the season-defining clash with Manchester United in the Europa League next week.

Spurs are already without James Maddison (knee) and Lucas Bergvall (ankle) until pre-season due to ligament damage, leaving Postecoglou desperately short of creativity in midfield for one of the biggest games in the club's modern history.

Pape Matar Sarr started the defeat to Palace at No10, with Kulusevski lining up as a false nine, and Wilson Odobert finished the match in a central role.

Asked afterwards if Odobert was an option as a playmaker, Postecoglou said his deployment there against the Eagles was a case of "needs must".

Spurs face Aston Villa in their penultimate league game of the season in Birmingham on Friday night before travelling to Bilbao for the all-English Final next week.

Postecoglou's side are 17th in the league table but would return to the Champions League if they win a first trophy since 2008 against United.