“I don’t intend to overdo Son Heung-min in his current physical condition. I will judge by how efficiently he can use it.”
Coach Hong Myung-bo of the national soccer team, who left for the Middle East for the 5th and 6th rounds of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 North-China World Cup, is considering how to use Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who has recovered from a hamstring injury.
“Son Heung-min’s physical condition is important to the national team. It is really important to see a healthy Son Heung-min,” Coach Hong Myung-bo told reporters before the national team’s training session at the Abdullah Al Khalifa Stadium in Kuwait on the 11th (local time). “As soon as he joins the national team, we will decide the time of his participation through interviews.” “I never intend to overdo it in his current physical condition,” he added. “I will judge him as an efficient way to use him.”
Son’s playing time has been reduced a lot this season due to his hamstring injury. Son suffered a hamstring injury in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League match against Garabakh (Azerbaijan) at the end of September and has since failed to join the team’s schedule for the third and fourth rounds of the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup. He rested for three games at Tottenham.
Son Heung-min returned to the game against West Ham in the eighth round of the league and scored a goal, but failed to play two matches of his team’s schedule again due to recurrence of pain in his injured area. Son returned to the game against Aston Villa in the 10th round of the league on the 3rd and recorded help. However, he was replaced early in the schedule afterwards and focused on maintaining his condition. He played only 49 minutes against Aston Villa and 45 minutes in the first half against UEL Galatasaray (Turkiye) on the 8th.
“We want Son to be healthy. We want Son to contribute to the national team by maintaining good physical condition,” Tottenham manager Anji Postecoglou said in a recent interview with ESPN. “I had no direct contact with the national team at Tottenham. Son is an important player for Tottenham, so Postecoglou has no choice but to pay attention,” he said. “The outcome of the national team’s match is important, but it is a courtesy to the team to send the called-up players back to good health.” 메이저사이트
The national team, led by head coach Hong, will play the fifth Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Kuwait at 11 p.m. on the 14th at Jabeur Al Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait City, Kuwait. It will then move to Jordan on the 17th and play the sixth round of the third qualifying round against the Palestinians at 11 p.m. on the 19th at Amman International Stadium in Amman. If Hong Myung-bo, who leads Group B in the third qualifying round of the World Cup with four consecutive undefeated matches (10 points, 3 wins and 1 draw), wins all two consecutive games in the Middle East, he will be able to advance to the finals.