‘Sports hernia surgery’ Son Heung-min will not be easy to play against Peru
South Korean soccer sensation Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) is expected to miss South Korea’s June A friendly against Peru.
Jürgen Klinsmann’s men’s national team 메이저놀이터 will face Peru on June 16 at 8 p.m. at the Busan Asiad Stadium in the first of two June A matches. On the 20th, they will travel to Daejeon World Cup Stadium to face El Salvador.
The highly sought-after Son Heung-min is unlikely to play.
Son underwent surgery for a sports hernia in England on March 29 after the final 38 rounds of the English Premier League (EPL).
When the intestines are out of place and pushed into a weak area of the abdominal wall, it is called a hernia, but when it is caused by overexertion, it is called a sports hernia.
The symptoms weren’t severe, and it’s likely that Son didn’t take the field against Peru despite his desire to play.
Despite the surgery, Son took part in the first training session on the 12th and broke a sweat, but he was focused on getting back into shape and didn’t take part in the more detailed drills. He didn’t work on his own game or set pieces.
The presence of goalkeeper Kim Seung-kyu (Al-Shabab) at the official press conference a day before the match against Peru also hints at Son’s possible absence.
Pre-match press conferences are often attended by players or captains who are scheduled to play in the match. This is especially true for official matches, where tactics and lineups are kept secret.
In March, ahead of the match against Colombia, which was Klinsmann’s debut, Son Heung-min attended the official press conference and expressed his aspirations.
With key defenders Kim Min-jae (Napoli) and Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan) unable to join the team due to basic military training and injury, respectively, and ace Son Heung-min missing, it would be like playing without a full squad.
Earlier, an official from the Korea Football Association said, “In the past, advisor Cha Doo-ri has also undergone sports hernia surgery. It is said that it is usually possible to recover within two weeks after surgery,” explaining that “there may be differences in recovery from person to person.”