Will Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham), who just returned from injury, be included in the national soccer team list.
The Korean national soccer team led by Coach Hong Myung-bo will announce the list of players who will play in the Middle East for the World Cup qualifying round in November at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Korea Football Center. Korea will play an away match against Kuwait on November 14 and then fly back to Jordan to play a third-country neutral match against the Palestinians on November 19. Korea is familiar with Jordanian environment, which it has experienced before.
Korea won the last away match (2-0) in Jordan and the home match (3-2) in which Son Heung-min was absent due to injury. In the absence of Son, Kim Min-jae replaced Son as interim captain. He also found Um Ji-sung and Bae Jun-ho in Son’s place.
Bad luck overlapped. Hwang Hee-chan and Um Ji-sung were both injured after falling due to harsh tackle by Jordan. Chances are high that both players will not be included in the national team roster as they have not recovered so far. Bae earned money by discovering special rookie Bae Jun-ho in an away match in October. Bae gave assist to Oh Se-hoon’s first goal in the match against Iraq.
The key is whether Son will return to the team or not. After injuring his hamstring in the first Europa League match against Karabakh (Azerbaijan) on April 27, Son missed three official matches. Son failed to join the Korean national team in the October A-match.
After undergoing sufficient rehabilitation, Son returned to the match against West Ham on the 19th and scored one goal and one assist to lead the team to a landslide 4-1 victory. However, Son’s injury recurred. Feeling uncomfortable, he missed three more games including the match between AZ Alkmaar (the Netherlands) and Europa on the 25th, the match against Crystal Palace on the 27th, and the match against Manchester City on the 27th.
Ahead of the match against Aston Villa on Thursday, coach Angie Postecoglou said, “Son Heung-min has completed his final training session,” signaling his participation in the match. Son, who started as a starter, made an assist to Brennan Johnson’s equalizer in the fourth minute of the second half, signaling his solid performance. Son’s third assist of the season has exploded.
Postecoglou replaced Son in just 56 minutes. It was a sign that Son’s body is not 100 percent yet. As he was the ace player who returned from injury, he wanted to save his life. However, Son, who wanted to play more, expressed deep regret on the bench. 스포츠토토
Son Heung-min’s share in Korean soccer is absolute. Son Heung-min, who has recovered from his team, is expected to be included in the national team list again. However, Son Heung-min is very tired from too frequent movements and long flights. Son Heung-min, who is now in his 30s, is also failing to recover differently every year.
Hamstring is a sensitive area where recurrence is frequent. Son Heung-min also felt uncomfortable again in his return match after rehabilitation. Some say Son should not be called by the national team until his body is 100%. They say that Son Heung-min does not have to play in the match between Kuwait and Palestine.
Another fan said, “The national team always has to fight with 100% of its power. We need Son Heung-min in the absence of Hwang Hee-chan and thumbtails. Just with Son Heung-min joining the team gives his teammates great strength,” adding meaning to the selection of the national team.
What choice will coach Hong Myung-bo make? Even if he chooses Son for the national team for the first time in a long time, he needs more careful management than ever.