Mohammed Kudus is close to returning from injury – Tottenham coach Roberto de Zerbi

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that Ghana international Mohammed Kudus is closing in on a long-awaited return to action after an injury-plagued spell on the sidelines.

Kudus has been unavailable since suffering a quadriceps injury during Tottenham's 1-1 Premier League draw with Sunderland at the start of January. The setback forced the 25-year-old to leave the match early and ruled him out for several months.

The former West Ham United midfielder had initially appeared set for a return after recovering sufficiently to resume full training, raising hopes that he could feature during the closing stages of the Premier League campaign.

However, those plans were derailed when Kudus suffered a fresh setback in his rehabilitation. The recurrence kept him out of Tottenham's final seven league matches and also denied him the chance to represent Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Despite the frustrating delay, Kudus is now nearing full fitness and is expected to resume full training once Tottenham return to London following their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia next month.

Speaking ahead of Spurs' pre-season friendly against Auckland FC, De Zerbi expressed optimism over the midfielder's progress.

“Kudus is very close. I think when we come back to London he will be available to start working with us," he said.

The Italian coach also highlighted the importance of the Ghanaian's return to the squad.

“It's a great thing for us. Kudus is another important player," he added.

After an injury-disrupted campaign, Kudus will be eager to put his fitness issues behind him and re-establish himself as a key figure in De Zerbi's plans.

Tottenham will also hope his return provides a significant boost as they prepare for the new season, with the versatile attacker expected to play a central role in the club's ambitions.