Concerns have emerged that Son Heung-min, who suffered a hamstring injury, will be prolonged.
Tottenham Hotspur will play Brighton and Hove Albion in the seventh round of the 2024-2025 Premier League at the American Express Stadium in Palmer, near Brighton, England, at 0:30 a.m. on the 7th (Korea time).
The match will be an important turning point in the competition for both Tottenham and Brighton ahead of the A-match break. Tottenham is ranked eighth with three wins, one draw and two losses (10 points), while Bryntert is ranked 10th with two wins, three draws and one loss (nine points). As the gap is not that big with Chelsea (13 points), which is in fourth place, it is a good chance for Tottenham to take a leap forward.
Tottenham is currently cruising with five consecutive wins in official matches, so the flow is good, but it is a fault that key striker Son Heung-min is out due to injury.
Son Heung-min suffered a hamstring injury in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League phase against Karabak (Azerbaijan) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the 27th of last month.
In the 23rd minute of the second half, Son Heung-min hit a shot in the process of Dominique Solanke’s score, and Solanke pushed a second ball that hit the goalkeeper’s hand to complete the team’s third goal.
Afterwards, Son collapsed by holding his thigh, and was substituted for Timo Werner after confirmation by the team’s medical staff. Since then, Son has missed three consecutive games, and is believed to have suffered severe injury.
“Son Heung-min suddenly changed from Thursday night,” coach Anji Postecoglou said in a press conference after an away game in the sixth round of the league against Manchester United on June 29. “He was not in the right condition to play against Manchester United. That’s why I played without Son.”
“It’s a big blow to Tottenham, but I had to go through quite a lot of things that key players were missing while I was here,” he said, adding, “I have to learn how to deal with it without Son Heung-min.”
“Son and Destiny are in London. They are training to improve their physical condition. But they will not be able to play tomorrow,” Postecoglou said of Son, who was not included in the away Europa League match against Ferencvaros.
Postecoglou said at a press conference ahead of Brighton’s away game on the 4th that Son Heung-min has not yet returned.
“Last night’s game against Ferencz was good. Obviously exhausted, but physically, there is no issue since the last game. And those who stayed are coming back. Destiny Udogi will be fine,” he said.
He added, “We train today and tomorrow. So he has to get through it. Sonny is not. He is working hard on his rehabilitation. But I don’t think he will transition quickly enough to be able to play in the current situation. And other players are good in the long run.”
Son was asked again if he could join during the A-match break. “Yes,” Postecoglou said. “If he doesn’t play, it’s only natural that he didn’t come. But again, we have national teams manage players during the A-match period. But we have to give them all the medical information and know that they understand the situation.”
It is the first time in about two years and nine months that Son Heung-min has missed more than three games due to his hamstring since January 2022. At that time, he missed six games at Tottenham while taking the entire January off.
Son Heung-min missed more than three games, including all his most recent injuries, due to an orbital fracture he suffered in the Champions League group stage against Marseille (France) in November 2022.
Son, who crashed into Chancel Mbemba’s shoulder at the time, was substituted and was banned from playing for a while. As the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar was just around the corner, keen attention was paid to whether Son would join the national team. Son joined the national team wearing a protective mask as captain. He had to skip the three previous Tottenham games.
This time, it is a similar level of absence, but there is a possibility that the period will be longer.
Brian King of ‘Tottenham Hotspur News’, who reports the news of Tottenham, reported on the 4th, “I think Son Heung-min’s injury is serious as he is out of the national team.”
On the 30th of last month, coach Hong Myung-bo included Son Heung-min on the A-match list in October and excluded him on the 4th, confirming that his injury was not simple.
Concerns are growing as Tottenham did not quickly announce Son Heung-min’s injury status or the expected timing of his return, and his absence is prolonged.
Son Heung-min, in particular, has already suffered his fourth career hamstring injury. This is the record following September 2020, March 2021, and January 2022.
As major tournaments continued, including the Qatar World Cup and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup in January, Son Heung-min played tirelessly between Tottenham and the national team, leading to injuries as he wanted to play as many games as possible. 메이저놀이터
The media said, “We asked Tottenham to update Son Heung-min’s situation, but it seems that we cannot figure out the exact timing of his return. Fans will need to be patient until the period of absence due to injury is understood.”
King said, “I hope this is not a long-term injury. However, if he is not included in the Korean national team, it should be quite serious considering his performance. We will check the exact extent of his injury.”
For now, Postecoglou is considering Son Heung-min’s return after the A-match break. After the A-match break, Tottenham is set to play West Ham United and London Derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at 8:30 p.m. on the 19th. After this match, Tottenham is in desperate need of Son Heung-min’s return as the league, Europa League, and Carabao Cup are scheduled every three days from the 25th.
