Tottenham Hotspur will face Manchester United on May 21 in the Europa League Final, and they will do so without star attacker Dejan Kulusevski. The Swedish international suffered an injury over the weekend in the Premier League that didn't initially appear to be serious, but, now, Kulusevski will be out for the Final.
Everything is on the line for Spurs in the Europa League Final, because with a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League staring them down, winning their first major trophy is the only way to salvage this season.
Champions League football next season is at stake for these two fallen Premier League giants, and the Europa League win may be the only way for Ange Postecoglou to even have a shot at saving his job.
According to a report from Football Insider's Paul O'Keefe, Dejan Kulusevski was a "major doubt" against Manchester United with a knee injury and was receiving pain injections. He wasn't been totally ruled out for the Final, per O'Keefe, but it was looking highly unlikely that Kulu will be able to play. Later, Spurs confirmed that Kulusevski would be out for the rest of the season and would need to undergo knee surgery for a right patellar injury.
That's obviously a huge blow for Tottenham, because even though Kulusevski has come under fire recently for not stepping in big games or making enough difference on the final scoreline with end product, his skill on the ball and abilty to progress play are crucial. Spurs also benefit from his experience and versatility on the right wing or in midfield.
Brennan Johnson is the next man up
With Kulusevski out, the focus on the right wing will turn to Brennan Johnson, a talented but inconsistent player who is actually Tottenham's leading goal-scorer in the Premier League this season with 11 goals.
A nearly 50 million pound investment from Nottingham Forest in January 2024, Johnson is capable of changing games in an instant but equally capable of losing them by walking about the pitch and making basic errors. HIs lack of awareness, poor passing, and inability to perform the basic functions of a winger that Kulusevski, for example, does with ease have been a major source of frustration for Spurs fans.
At the same time, there is both an understanding that Johnson is still young at 23 and an understanding that his ability to get into the right positions and finish chances is valuable to a Spurs team lacking a true fox-in-the-box at striker. Johnson, at his best, can be the difference between Tottenham winning and losing against Manchester United, but he can just as easily be a massive liability.
So if Kulusevski can't play, which is what it seems like now, Johnson absolutely has to step up for Tottenham and take this opportunity in the Europa League Final vs. Man United as his to shine.