Son Heung-min eventually failed to join Hong Myung-bo. The Korea Football Association said on the 4th, "Son Heung-min was judged to need a rest due to a left thigh injury, so we finally decided to exclude him from the call-up in October to protect the player," adding, "The substitute player is Hong Hyun-seok (Mainz)."

Son was substituted in the 26th minute of the second half due to thigh pain at the match against Caravac in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) during the 2024-2025 season on April 27. Son, who was seen holding the back of his thigh throughout the second half, sent a substitute sign himself. He showed a slight limp even after returning to the bench, raising concerns. He seemed to be under strain as he played seven matches including league, cup tournament, European match and long-distance A match for September.

In the end, Son missed the next match, an away match for Manchester United. "He wants to train. I will decide after checking his condition," Tottenham manager Enze Postecoglou said before the match, which allowed him to play, but was excluded from the roster altogether. It is the first time in about a year and 10 months that Son has not been able to play since November 2022 when he suffered an orbital fracture due to his injury.메이저사이트

He will not be able to play in the match against Brighton on Sunday, which will take place shortly before the A-match. "Sonny (Son Heung-min) is unlikely to play in the match. He is trying his best (to recover) but not enough to play in the upcoming match," Postecoglou said in an early press conference.

Originally, Coach Hong Myung-bo included Son Heung-min by announcing the list of players who will play in the third and fourth rounds of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup. At the time, he said, "I personally communicated with him whether he will play or not. I felt that I have made improvement. However, individuals and their teams are not in a situation where they will play immediately. We have more games to play in this area, and we will have to wait and see if he will play in his team."

As Son's recovery has been delayed, coach Hong Myung-bo has finally replaced Hong. For the first time since taking charge of the national team, Hong will play two straight A matches without key Son.

Delighted Son Heung-min (left) and Hwang Hee-chan. /Photo = Courtesy of the Korea Football Association
At the time of the announcement, Hong Myung-bo said he had a Plan B plan in mind when Son Heung-min has not recovered from his injury. "I am considering two things (without Son)," he said. "Many players can play in Son's position. Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), and Lee Jae-sung (Mines) can all play on the spot."

First of all, Son Heung-min's position as a left-side striker is expected to be the best player among Hwang Hee-chan, Bae Jun-ho, Lee Jae-sung and Um Ji-sung, as mentioned by head coach Hong Myung-bo. Hwang Hee-chan, a built-in side striker of the national team, has shown his worst form, being completely pushed out of the starting lineup recently, and Lee Jae-sung is likely to be used as a central midfielder. As a result, it can be expected that rookie Bae Jun-ho will be selected as a surprise starter.

Bae Jun-ho has been active in Stoke City ahead of joining the national team. He led the team to a 6-1 victory against Portsmouth on the 3rd by posting two assists. This is his second and third assists of the league this season. Bae Jun-ho scored his debut goal in June against Singapore with a play that he did not hesitate to play even though he made his A-match debut.

After moving to Swansea City this season, Um Ji-sung also successfully settled down in England. He has started all nine league games so far. In the match against Bristol City on June 30, he made his debut assist through a corner kick.

While Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) is likely to start the right-side striker position, Lee Dong-kyung (Kim Chun) is expected to replace him in the second half.