Refer Report
Tottenham, Son Heung-min’s return ‘hamgu’
Could miss two consecutive World Cup qualifiers
It appears that ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham, photo)’s injury is not minor. While Tottenham Hotspur remained silent about the specific extent of the injury, there was a possibility that he would not return before the international match call in October.
After winning 3-0 in an away game against Manchester United in the 6th round of the 2024-2025 English Premier League (EPL) season held in Manchester, England on the 30th of last month, Tottenham coach Anzhi Postekoglou said, “Son Heung-min will play in today’s game. Because he wasn’t, the game was played without him. “It is a big blow to Tottenham and they must learn to cope without Son Heung-min.”
Son Heung-min collapsed holding his left thigh in the 26th minute of the second half with a 3-0 lead in the first leg of the league phase against Karabakh in the Europa League before Manchester United. Son Heung-min was replaced by Rodrigo Bentancourt after complaining of pain immediately after shooting rather than colliding with another player. Coach Postekoglou refused to comment on when Son Heung-min would return. He hinted at the possibility of Son Heung-min playing ahead of the Manchester United game, saying, “Today’s game is urgent, so I can only evaluate it when I return to London, England. He only gave a reserved assessment, saying, “We will monitor the situation.” If Son Heung-min injures his hamstring, he will not be able to play for about three weeks. The upcoming second round of the Europa League against Ferencvaros on the 4th, as well as the 7th round of the EPL against Brighton on the 7th, must be skipped.
Local media also have mixed opinions on the timing of Son Heung-min’s return. The British Evening Standard expressed a cautious stance, saying that Son Heung-min would return within October, and the Independent predicted that he would play in the match against Brighton on the 7th.
If Son Heung-min does not recover from his injury before the international match in October, Plan B will inevitably be activated for the 3rd and 4th games of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian region 3rd qualifying round. Korea, which is in second place in Group B (1 win, 1 draw), will play an away game against Jordan in Amman, Jordan on the 10th and then play a home game against Iraq on the 15th.
On the 30th of last month, coach Hong Myung-bo of the national soccer team said, “We have prepared Plan B in case Son Heung-min cannot play,” when announcing the roster for the 3rd and 4th games.
Source: Korean