Son Hyung Min, Another added to Injury list! South Korea’s Son Hyung Min is expected to lead Asia’s hopes in the World Cup held in Qatar. The left winger who plays for Tottenham is the best star in Asian football. But an unexpected injury put his World Cup in jeopardy.
Tottenham face Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday. The last time goal won the place in the knockout phase of the Champions League. In that match, Son suffered an injury near his left eye. He has a tear near his eye.
Sons who suffer from limb fouls must undergo eye surgery. He is unlikely to play for the club before the World Cup. There is also the concern whether Qatar will be able to play their first match in the ‘H’ group after recovering.
South Korea will play their first match on November 24. Tottenham did not say how long it will take for him to recover. However, he will be updated regularly, the club said, confirming that Son will undergo surgery. After the surgery, he will begin his recovery with the club’s medical staff. Fans will be informed about his next status.
Son’s face appeared to be heavily swollen and he was helped off the pitch by medical staff. An image posted on Instagram by teammate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after the game showed Son celebrating the win with the team, but he appears to be struggling to open his left eye.
Dr. Song Jun-seop, director of Gangnam JS Hospital and a doctor for the Korean national football team, told the JoongAng Ilbo on Wednesday that an orbital fracture was the worst-case scenario.
“The worst case is an orbital fracture,” Dr. Song said. “That will require more than eight weeks of treatment due to a fracture in the bone that protects the eyes.”
The injury comes just three weeks before the start of the 2022 Qatar World Cup where Son was expected to captain the Korean national football team. Surgery does not immediately preclude him from national duty, according to some experts, but whether he is able to play, perhaps wearing a mask, will depend on the extent of the surgery and his recovery.
There have been examples of players coming back from an orbital fracture injury very quickly. Last year, Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne fractured his eye sockets less than three weeks before the 2020 Euros, but was still able to join the Belgian squad later in the tournament.
