LONDON — Mohammed Kudus faces fresh uncertainty in his recovery from a quad injury after Tottenham confirmed that the Ghana international suffered a setback following his return to team training. The 25-year-old forward will undergo another specialist review and could require surgery before the World Cup.
Kudus was injured in early January during Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland, a match watched by Ghana coach Otto Addo. He had initially been expected to miss three months, leaving open the possibility that he could return before Ghana begins its World Cup campaign.
That timetable is now in doubt. Kudus resumed team training during the past week, but Spurs announced a change in his recovery status a day before manager Roberto De Zerbi was expected to discuss the forward’s condition on Friday.
“He had returned to team training during the past week, however will now require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery,” Tottenham said in a statement. The club added that it would provide further updates when available and closed its message with: “We’re all with you, Mo.”
The setback affects both Tottenham’s plans and Ghana’s preparations for the World Cup. Any decision on surgery could further reduce the time available for Kudus to recover and regain match fitness before the Black Stars open their Group L schedule.
Kudus joined Spurs from West Ham last summer for a reported fee of 55 million pounds ($75 million). He has scored three goals in 26 appearances across all competitions this season.
Ghana begins its World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto. The Black Stars then play England on June 23 in Foxborough before completing their group schedule against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.
Kudus was one of Ghana’s leading performers at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring twice in a 3-2 victory over South Korea. That was Ghana’s only win of the tournament, and the Black Stars finished last in their group.