BY ISSAH OLEGOR
Ghana international Mohammed Kudus has made his long-awaited return to competitive football after seven months on the sidelines, featuring for Tottenham Hotspur in their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The 26-year-old midfielder was introduced in the 68th minute, replacing Mathys Tel as Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi sought to inject fresh energy into his attack. However, Kudus could not inspire a turnaround as Newcastle held on comfortably to claim all three points.
Anthony Elanga opened the scoring for Newcastle before Yoane Wissa added a second goal, leaving Tottenham with consecutive defeats at the beginning of the new campaign.
Kudus’ appearance marked the end of a frustrating period that began on January 4, 2026, when he suffered an injury during Tottenham’s encounter with Sunderland. His recovery was subsequently delayed after he suffered a relapse in April, forcing him to spend several additional months away from competitive action.
The prolonged absence meant Kudus missed 237 days of football and 25 matches for Tottenham across all competitions. More significantly for Ghana, his injury ruled him out of the Black Stars’ 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
His return had been eagerly anticipated at Tottenham, particularly after De Zerbi confirmed before the Newcastle game that the Ghanaian would be included in the squad.
Kudus had resumed individual training in early August before gradually returning to full team sessions as he completed the final stages of his rehabilitation. His inclusion against Newcastle subsequently provided the clearest indication yet that he was ready to begin his comeback.
