“Son Heung-min, I don’t think a quick improvement will be possible.”
Tottenham manager Angie Postecoglou hinted at Captain Son Heung-min’s absence from Brighton.
Son Heung-min’s Tottenham will clash with Brighton in the seventh round of the English Premier League (EPL) at the American Express Stadium in Brighton, England, at 0:30 a.m. on the 7th (Korea time). Tottenham, ranked eighth with 10 points in six games, must catch nine points and Brighton, ranked 10th in the league, in order to advance its ranking before the A-match break.
Son Heung-min started in a home game against Karabakh FK in the first round of the Europa League on the 27th of last month, but he collapsed when he complained of thigh pain in the 26th minute of the second half, and has not been able to play in the away match against Manchester United and away match against Ferencvaros in the Europa League since then.
At a press conference ahead of the match against Brighton on Thursday, Postecoglou mentioned the extent of Son’s injury in person. “Sonny is working hard, but I don’t think he will improve fast enough to be appointed at this stage,” he said, hinting that he will miss three consecutive games. Not only Son but also Wilson O’Dobert will miss the match due to a hamstring injury and Hisalisson’s shin injury. O’Dobert has been unable to play for at least four weeks, either. Amid a series of injuries to his strikers, starting pitchers Mikey Moore and Timo Werner, who were born in 2007, will be the most likely candidates for Brighton. Moore made his debut in the first division in an away match against Ferencvaros and played full 90 minutes, showing good performance.
Asked whether Son will be able to play in an A-match game, Postecoglou said, “Just because he is not playing in our team, he is close, but we also need to keep in mind his duty as a member of the national team. During the A-match break, the national team is the guardian of the players. We provided all medical information to the Korean national team, and they understand the situation well.”
The national team coach Hong Myung-bo has also opted to protect the national team. He made the A-match roster in October, but canceled the call-up after communicating with the players and the club. He replaced midfielder Hong Hyun-suk ahead of his departure for an away match in Jordan on Tuesday morning. Hong is committed to protecting the players. “We had direct communication with him whether he will participate or not. Son has had a tough time going back and forth between the national team and his team. His physical condition and physical aspects are more important to him. Furthermore, if he goes to the finals, he is a really important player for our team in terms of performance in the finals. In that regard, I will find a way to do well while communicating well with the club and the players themselves, our association and the team, without overstretching themselves,” he said. “Son Heung-min himself may want to participate in the games even if he has difficulties, and many people may wish for him, but he does not want to force him to suffer in such a way.” “Son Heung-min can have multiple players in his position. Hwang Hee-chan, Bae Jun-ho, and Lee Jae-sung can all play. Of course, I don’t know how Son Heung-min will affect other parts when he doesn’t come out, but I think there are enough substitutes for that position.” 메이저놀이터
Meanwhile, Fabian Wheeler, the head coach of Brighton that Tottenham will face, was born in 1993 and is the youngest head coach of the Premier League, one year younger than Son Heung-min. As a former Bayern Munich youth player, he did not show impressive performance as a player, but showed off his outstanding capabilities as a leader. He showed his potential by working as a senior coach for Germany’s U-18 and U-20 teams in 2018, and after becoming an official coach at the age of 29 in 2020, he led the team to the Bundesliga 2 title for the first time in 13 years after becoming an official coach at the age of 29. He entered the Premier League proving his young leadership. In the absence of “captain” Son Heung-min, fans are paying keen attention to the strategic confrontation with veteran Postecoglou.
