Son makes South Korea’s World Cup squad
Despite suffering a fractured eye socket, Son Heung-min has been included in South Korea’s 26-man squad for the World Cup finals.
Son Heung-min has been included in South Korea’s 26-man squad for the World Cup finals in Qatar despite suffering a fractured eye socket playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League earlier this month. Head coach Paulo Bento included Son in his squad after the 30-year-old declared himself fit to feature for the Koreans, who will be making their 10th consecutive appearance at the World Cup finals.
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“We are in contact with him, with the Tottenham medical department, but about the exact time, the exact day he can train with the team we don’t have that information yet,” Bento told reporters after unveiling his squad on Saturday. “So we need to wait, we need to analyse day-by-day his situation. We have time to decide and the most important is he recovers as well as possible, he feels comfortable and then we will take the final decision.”
Son, who underwent an operation to repair the injury, has said he would wear a protective mask to play in Qatar if required. Bento said his selection of Mallorca playmaker Lee Kang-in was not intended as cover for Son should last season’s joint-leading scorer in the Premier League be unable to play.
South Korea will travel to the World Cup looking to qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time since 2010, when they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Uruguay. “Even competing with a high-level performance from our side we are going to feel many difficulties because on the other side are very good and strong teams,” said Bento.
The Koreans open their Group H campaign against Uruguay on 24 November before facing Ghana on the 28th and Portugal on 2 December.
South Korea squad
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), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), 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)