Ghana forward Mohammed Kudus has been omitted from Tottenham Hotspur’s 35-man squad for their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia as he continues his rehabilitation from injury.
The 25-year-old will remain in London with teammates Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert, who will also stay at Hotspur Way to continue their respective recovery programmes.
Kudus will therefore miss Tottenham’s pre-season fixtures against Auckland FC, Sydney FC and Chelsea as the club focuses on ensuring the forward completes his recovery before returning to competitive action.
The decision is part of Tottenham’s approach to managing the player’s rehabilitation, with the club’s medical staff continuing to oversee his progress at their training base. Rather than risk an early return, Kudus will remain in London as he works towards regaining full fitness ahead of the new Premier League season.
His latest injury setback has followed a difficult second half of the 2025-26 campaign, during which his involvement was disrupted by fitness problems. The injury also prevented him from being selected for Ghana’s FIFA World Cup squad, meaning the Black Stars were without one of their leading attacking players during the tournament in North America.
Kudus had been expected to play an important role for Ghana, but his absence meant the national team had to compete without one of its most influential attacking talents. His recovery will therefore be of interest not only to Tottenham but also to the Ghanaian national team, which will be hoping the forward can return to full fitness in time for future international commitments.
The former Ajax and FC Nordsjælland player moved to Tottenham from West Ham United in July 2025 for a fee of about £55m. He made a positive impression after arriving in north London and quickly became an important part of Spurs’ attacking plans.
Before injury disrupted his campaign, Kudus had provided goals and assists and was establishing himself as a key figure in the Tottenham side. His continued absence from the club’s pre-season tour means his return to full training will now be carefully managed as the new campaign approaches.
The immediate objective for the Ghana international is to complete the final stages of his rehabilitation and resume full training in the coming weeks. Tottenham will be hoping his recovery progresses sufficiently for him to take part in the club’s final pre-season preparations before the Premier League season gets under way.
For Ghana, Kudus’ rehabilitation will also be closely followed as the country looks ahead to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Black Stars will be keen to have the 25-year-old available after his injury ruled him out of the World Cup.
Both Tottenham and Ghana will want Kudus to return at the right time and in the best possible physical condition. For now, his focus remains on completing his recovery at Hotspur Way while his Spurs team-mates travel to Australia and New Zealand for the club’s pre-season schedule.
Kudus’ absence from the tour means Tottenham will have to continue preparations without one of their key attacking options, but keeping him in London gives the club’s medical team the opportunity to monitor his rehabilitation closely.
The forward’s progress in the coming weeks will determine when he can return to full training and begin working towards a competitive comeback. His eventual return could provide a significant boost for Tottenham while also giving Ghana renewed hope of having one of its most important attacking players available for the international challenges ahead.
