Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohammed Kudus has suffered a major setback in his recovery from a thigh injury, with surgery now likely following a new hamstring issue during training this week. The 25-year-old Ghana international faces a three-month recovery that could rule him out for the rest of the Premier League season and jeopardize his participation in the 2026 World Cup. Ghana, drawn in Group L with England, Croatia and Panama, will feel the blow ahead of their June matches.
Mohammed Kudus originally suffered his thigh injury during Tottenham's 1-1 draw against Sunderland on January 4, leaving the pitch after just 19 minutes. Opting against immediate surgery, he consulted specialists in Amsterdam linked to his former club Ajax and underwent nearly 100 days of rehabilitation. He returned briefly to first-team training last week but felt a problem in his hamstring during an individual session on Monday, with scans on Tuesday confirming the severity, according to reports citing journalist Ben Jacobs and other sources. Surgery is now the probable next step, with a typical three-month recovery timeline ahead of the World Cup starting in June. Tottenham, currently embroiled in a relegation fight under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, will miss Kudus's contributions for their remaining seven games. Despite his absence since January, the forward ranks highly in key metrics: third for chances created with 23, joint-highest for successful dribbles per 90 minutes, and leading the team in completed dribbles. De Zerbi had been relying on Kudus for creativity in a squad plagued by injuries. For Ghana's Black Stars, the timing is particularly harsh. The team recently parted ways with head coach Otto Addo after defeats to Austria and Germany. Kudus, who scored twice as Ghana's top scorer at the 2022 World Cup, is a key explosive threat. Their Group L campaign opens against Panama in Toronto on June 17, followed by England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27. Even in the best case, Kudus would return from two hamstring issues this season just in time, raising questions for the new coach about his fitness.
