Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the national soccer team, has entered into a dilemma over whether Son Heung-min (Tottenham) will play or not.
South Korea will play Kuwait in Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the ‘2026 FIFA North-China World Cup’ at Jabeur Al Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait, at 11 p.m. on the 14th (Korea time).
South Korea, which is currently leading the group with three wins and one draw (10 points), will cross the 7th ridge of its advance to the finals if it wins both games against Kuwait and Palestine in Game 6.
In order to gain an advantage with meaningful results in this two consecutive games, scoring ability is the key, and Son Heung-min’s role is absolute.
However, Son Heung-min was unable to play in the third to fourth games of last month due to a hamstring (muscle behind his thigh) injury, and his team also recently returned, raising the need for management.
He improved his condition by playing full-time for the first time since returning from injury in the 11th round of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2024-2025 season just before joining the national team.
“We want a healthy Son. We are confident that we will get positive results for Tottenham and the Korean national team,” said Son’s coach Enze Postecoglou, expressing his desire to cooperate with the Korea Football Association (KFA) to adjust Son’s condition. 안전놀이터
According to Newsis, Coach Hong Myung-bo told a press conference on the previous day (13th) that he had no problem with his injury. “I think Tottenham also decided to play 90 minutes,” he said, but did not give a definite answer on whether he will play or not, saying, “We will prepare to play considering the overall situation.”
“The most important thing is to win. I want to win the first match to the next match to wrap up my schedule in November,” Hong said. “It is important how strong we are to prepare for this match. The players are maintaining good performance, but we need to focus on the two more matches.”
After the match against Kuwait, South Korea will move to Amman, Jordan, and have a match with the Palestinians on the 19th.