Clean sweep captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) has been training for two consecutive days after being called up to the A team. The national team's coaching staff and Tottenham are keeping a close eye on his condition.
The national team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, has been preparing for two matches against Tunisia (Seoul) on Sept. 13 and Vietnam (Suwon) on Sept. 17.
Klinsmann's squad was only fully assembled on the 10th, when overseas players who were unable to join in time due to their clubs' schedules joined the squad.
However, the team's ace and captain, Son Heung-min, did not join the normal training for the second consecutive day.
On the first day of the call-up, he took to the training field alone in his sneakers for individual training. While his teammates shook off the fatigue of the previous day's game and long flight with a light workout, Son spent his time cycling and stretching on his own.
The next day was no different. While the rest of the team went through their normal training, Heung-min rode his bike and ran around the training ground by himself to get in shape.
Son Heung-min of the South Korean national soccer team
Even before Son was called up to the squad, there were concerns about his fitness. He felt discomfort in his groin at Tottenham. Tottenham manager Enze Postecoglou had to adjust Son's playing time to prevent a potentially serious injury.
The long flight from England to South Korea with a less-than-perfect body left many fans worried about his condition and fitness.
For now, Klinsmann is considering him for the match.
"The national team is always special," Klinsmann told reporters before the players were called up. It's the highest honor you can have as a player. "We're going to get to know the players, we're going to adjust the workload, but we're going to leave everything on the field. There will be no exclusion of certain players from the squad," he said, adding that the team will play the two matches in October at its best.
Regarding Son Heung-min, he said, "It will be less difficult for him compared to other players because Tottenham is not playing in Europe," and added, "He will want to show a good performance to the fans as he is playing in Korea for the first time in a long time." He expressed his intention to play him. 스포츠토토링크