Son Heung-min is expected to return after the A-match break.
Tottenham Hotspur will meet Brighton in the seventh round of the 2024-25 Premier League (PL) at the American Express Stadium in Brighton, England, at 0:30 a.m. on the 7th (Korea time). Tottenham is ranked eighth in the league with three wins, one draw and two losses (10 points), and Brighton is ninth in the league with two wins, three draws and one loss (nine points).
Son is drawing the most attention ahead of the match. Son started in the first UEFA Europa League phase against Karabakh on March 27, but held his right thigh in the 26th minute of the second half to complain of pain. As he felt pain near his hamstring, he was substituted.
He will miss two consecutive matches. Son did not accompany Manchester United in an away match last month due to injury. Fortunately, Tottenham defeated Manchester United 3-0. However, he did not show up even during the away match in Budapest, Hungary, in the second leg of the UEFA UEL League phase that took place during the week. In the end, he rested in London and focused on recovering from his injury in the match against Ferencvaros.
On the reason for his absence, coach Enze Postecoglou opened his mouth. “After the victory against Manchester United, the recovery time was short after the Thursday night (Karabakh) match, and the condition for today (Sunday) match was not right. So I had to go without Son Heung-min. During my time here, I have experienced many situations where key players are missing, and now I have to learn to endure such situations,” he said in an interview with British Sky Sports.
Nevertheless, Coach Hong Myung-bo first included Son Heung-min on the list. The South Korean national soccer team will play against Jordan in the third Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. The team will then play its fourth match against Iraq at Yongin Mir Stadium on Saturday.
At a press conference to announce the list on the 30th, he said, “I had direct communication. What I feel now is that I am improving little by little. I am not in a situation where I can play right now. I will see if I can play or not.”
Fans were doubtful. When the list was announced, some fans posted negative comments, such as “Is this right when it’s Heung-min’s injury?” and “He doesn’t think about it at all. Did we have to call him because he was injured again?”
The call-up has been lifted. The Korea Football Association (KFA) officially announced on Monday that Son needs rest due to his left thigh injury, which has led to the final decision to exclude him from the call-up in October to protect his players. Hong Hyun-suk (Minutes) will be replaced.
Son is unlikely to participate in the upcoming away match in Brighton. Coach Enze Postecoglou, who attended an early press conference ahead of the match, said, “He is unlikely to participate. He is trying hard, but I don’t think there will be enough time to prepare to return from this match. And the rest of the players are in long-term injury conditions.”
“If Son does not play for our team, that means he is not ready to play. However, for the national team, we have to take a careful approach because they are the protectors of the players. We have provided all the medical information, and they fully understand the situation,” he said.
Son Heung-min’s injury, which was initially thought not to be deep, is lasting longer than expected. Son has been far from having a major injury throughout his career. This is the first time his injury has occurred since he suffered an orbital fracture in the 2022-23 season. At that time, Son missed four games for Tottenham and one for the national team. This is the first time in three seasons that he has suffered a hamstring injury. Son suffered a hamstring injury in January 2022 and did not play eight matches for the national team against Tottenham.
Son is already 32 years old. This means that he does not know when the aging curve will come. Neymar and Sadio Mane, who are already the same age as Son, have lost form due to frequent injuries. Son has been relatively consistent in physical management, and has thus far had no injury. However, if his team and the national team do not take care of themselves like this one, his injury could be prolonged.
As Son Heung-min was excluded, alternative resources became important. Timo Werner took the place of Son Heung-min in the last match against Manchester United and Ferenc Barlow. However, Werner failed to show any impressive performance. In particular, he failed to score as the shot went head-on in a decisive one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper.
Rising star Mikey Moore may replace Son Heung-min. Moore is one of the promising players that Tottenham has high expectations for. Born in 2007, Moore has been a “Sungol Youth” resource since 2014. He has shown steady growth. He has shown great potential to play with the U-18 team at the age of 15. At the age of 15, Moore also played in the face-off against Manchester United and became the youngest U-21 team in the club’s history. Last season, he showed off his potential by scoring 12 goals and seven assists in 10 games for the U-18 team.
He is already a player with high expectations among Tottenham fans. Moore drew great attention by copying Son Heung-min’s “click ceremony” after scoring in the U-17 Premier League final. Moore also performed a “click ceremony” with the team’s squad in the English national team by age.
Son Heung-min also praised Moore last June. Son said, “It feels really good to see him, especially young players like Moore, train together and work really hard. Overall, he has been very positive throughout the season. We are moving forward step by step.” 메이저놀이터
He was called up to the first team thanks to his performance. Moore, who started training with the first team in January, has been impressive and even made his professional debut. In a league game against Manchester City in May, he faced an emotional moment as he stepped on the ground as a substitute for extra time in the second half.
Ahead of the new season, coach Enze Postecoglou also shook the heart of Coach Postecoglou. Moore scored a goal in the showdown with Hearts, the first pre-season game, and was also listed in the Asian tour. He was substituted in the showdown with Vissel Kobe, shaking the net.
He has also joined the Korean tour. Along with Son, Moore participated in the Coupang Play Series tour, replacing the K-League and Bayern Munich, and playing with the top-tier Korean players. Moore has been steadily preparing for the event, gradually increasing the time he will play. He has already substituted himself in three games this season, playing with the top-tier Korean players. On top of that, he proved that he can play full-time as a starting player on the day and also play in the adult stage.
