Heung-Min Son, Hee-Chan Hwang, etc. to join the national team due to injuries
Bentuho, domestic training in Turkey in January… struggling to find a replacement
Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min (center) loses the ball to an opponent’s tackle in the first leg of the 2021-2022 Carabao Cup semi-final match once morest Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London, England on the 6th. London = AFP Yonhap News
As the Korean national soccer team captain Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham) collapsed from an injury, a red flag also turned on for the Bento, which is challenging the finals for the 10th consecutive World Cup.
Son Heung-min felt abnormal in his leg muscles following finishing the first leg of the League Cup (Carabao Cup) semi-final match once morest Chelsea on the 6th, and as a result of the examination, he was expected to miss at least two weeks.
Tottenham Hotspur announced the injury on the 8th, and manager Antonio Conte said, “I have disappointing news for Son Heung-min. After the Chelsea game, I felt pain in my leg. I think he will be absent for two weeks.”
This is bad news for Tottenham, which is on a tight schedule from the Premier League (EPL), the English Football Association (FA) Cup, and the League Cup.
Heung-Min Son has recorded a total of 9 goals and 4 assists in all competitions this season, including 8 goals and 3 assists in the regular season.
Tottenham won 3-1 in the FA Cup round of 64 once morest Morecom, a 3rd division team, in the absence of Son Heung-min that day. The game was overturned following Harry Kane and Lucas Moura were brought in as substitutes following conceding the opening goal.
This is the part that confirms Son Heung-min’s absence.
The national football team, which is challenging for the Qatar World Cup finals, also has an emergency.
Paulo Bento, coach of the South Korean men’s soccer team. Sports World data photo
The national team, led by coach Paulo Bento, will face Lebanon on the 27th and Syria on the 1st of next month in the 7th and 8th rounds of the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian Final Qualifier. It is the second consecutive expedition to the Middle East.
Korea is in second place (14 points) following Iran (16 points), the leader of Group A in the final qualifying round.
With 4 matches remaining in the final qualifying round, the difference between the third-placed United Arab Emirates (UAE, 6 points) is 8 points, so it is advantageous to advance to the final qualifying round.
In the World Cup Asian final qualifier, the 2nd place in the group goes straight to the finals.
However, the fact that Son Heung-min’s injury might not make the best effort for this Middle East expedition is an unsettling factor. If Son Heung-min’s recovery is slow, it is unclear whether he will join the final qualifying round.
Even if he recovers ahead of schedule, his condition, such as a sense of competition, is not 100%. In addition, there is a risk of injuries recurring in the tough fights of Middle Eastern teams.
The problem is that not only Son Heung-min, but also Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), another attacking resource, has been out for a long time due to injuries.
Wolverhampton striker Hwang Hee-chan wears a painful expression following collapsing on the ground with a hamstring injury during the EPL round 17 away match once morest Brighton on December 16, 2021. Brighton = AFP Yonhap News
Hwang Hee-chan, who injured his hamstring in the regular league with Brighton last December, is expected to return in early February, making it difficult to join the national team.
Hwang Ui-jo (Bordeaux), the national team’s unwavering top striker, was also substituted in the regular league match once morest Marseille on the 8th, complaining of thigh pain in the 33rd minute of the second half. It is not a serious injury, but it is not in normal condition due to accumulated fatigue.
Bentuho’s January training in Turkey has been busy due to the injury issue of key European strikers.
This is because it is necessary to secure alternative resources to fill the void in this field training, which is organized mainly by domestic groups.
The eyes are on Song Min-gyu (Jeonbuk), Lee Dong-jun (Ulsan), Kwon Chang-hoon, and Jo Gyu-seong (Gimcheon).
The national team will play two evaluation matches once morest Iceland on the 15th and Moldova on the 21st in Antalya, Turkey. If the domestic strikers perform beyond expectations, they can prepare for the European injury gap to some extent.
Also, from a long-term perspective, the effect of expanding the player pool ahead of the World Cup finals is expected.
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