The 25-year-old, however, sustained a fractured forearm during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Qatar at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha last month and went under the knife in Seoul. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 13 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean footballer Son Heung-min on Thursday departed for London to prepare for a new English Premier League (EPL) season with Tottenham Hotspur.
Son stayed in his homeland about 70 days after having a successful season with Tottenham. He netted 21 goals in all competitions during the 2016-2017 season, breaking the single-season scoring record for a South Korean in Europe. The mark was previously held by Cha Bum-kun, who had 19 goals for the German outfit Bayer Leverkusen in the 1985-1986 season.
The 25-year-old, however, sustained a fractured forearm during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Qatar at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha last month and went under the knife in Seoul.
Doctors here said that Son’s full recovery could take up to 12 weeks, but the former Hamburg and Leverkusen forward said he will be ready to play in South Korea’s upcoming World Cup qualifier at home. The Taeguk Warriors are scheduled to host already-qualified Iran on Aug. 31.
New national team head coach Shin Tae-yong previously hinted that he will pick Son Heung-min and Ki Sung-yueng, another injured player, even if they can’t play because they can help the team in other ways.
Son is certain to miss the Spurs’ preseason matches in the United States later this month and is likely to be sidelined at the start of a new EPL season. The London club, last season’s runners-up, will open their 2017-18 EPL season against Newcastle United on Aug. 12.
(Yonhap)
