Son Heung Min learns his World Cup fate as South Korea releases 26-man squad

Son Heung Min learns his World Cup fate as South Korea releases 26-man squad

Rene Otinga
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:16 PM
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  • Son heung Min has been named in the South Korea squad for the World Cup
  • This is despite the Tottenham man suffering from a fractured eye socket
  • South Korea is in one of the ‘Groups of death’ comprising Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal

Tottenham star Son Heung Min has been named in the 26-man South Korea squad heading to the World Cup, despite a concerning head injury.

Son suffered a fractured eye socket during the crunch Champions League clash against Marseille earlier in November, which Tottenham won 2-1 to top their group.

This comes after Son assured South Korea fans on Wednesday, November 9 that he would definitely make the squad despite initial concerns.

Son Heung Min, South Korea
Son Heung-Min is substituted after an injury during the Champions League match between Marseille and Tottenham Hotspur at Orange Velodrome on November 01, 2022. Photo by Clive Rose.
Source: Getty Images

South Korea’s first game is against Uruguay on November 24, but the national team coach Paulo Bento has admitted he is unsure whether Son is ready to start training again.

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"We are in contact with him, with the Tottenham medical department. We need to wait, we need to analyse day by day his situation.” He said as quoted on BBC.

If Son ends up featuring for his country, he will have to wear a protective mask.

Here is the South Korea squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (Al Shabab), Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors)

Defenders: Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Motors), Hong Chul (Daegu FC), Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Motors), Yoon Jong-gyu (FC Seoul), Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan Hyundai), Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Cho Yu-min (Daejon Citizen)

Midfielders: Jung Woo-young (Al Sadd), Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), Paik Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan), Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk Motors), Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon Sangmu), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg), Lee Kang-in (Real Mallorca)

Forwards: Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos), Cho Gue-sung (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)

FifPro raises concerns over players

Sports Brief earlier reported on Fifpro’s statement on footballers’ welfare amid a growing concern of injuries ahead of the World Cup.

While the World Cup is a little over one week away, players participating in the spectacle still have to deal with one more round of domestic matches this weekend.

During midweek, there were also games in the various divisions; from the Carabao Cup to the La Liga and other cup competitions across Europe.

According to a Fifpro report, the workload on players is becoming unsustainable and damaging to their physical and mental health.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.