Son Heung-min: Tottenham star named in South Korea World Cup squad despite injury

South Korea have named Son Heung-min in their 26-man World Cup squad after the Tottenham forward declared himself fit for the tournament.

Son, 30, had been a doubt after having surgery on a fractured eye socket suffered earlier this month.

But he assured South Korea fans on Wednesday that he will play in Qatar.

Coach Paulo Bento says he is not sure when Son can start training again, ahead of their first game against Uruguay on 24 November.

“We don’t have that information yet,” said Bento.

“We are in contact with him, with the Tottenham medical department. We need to wait, we need to analyse day by day his situation.

“We have time to decide and the most important is he recovers as well as possible, he feels comfortable and then we will take the final decision.”

Son may need to wear a protective mask if he is to play any part in Qatar, where South Korea will also face Ghana and Bento’s native Portugal in Group H.

Other notable inclusions are Napoli’s Kim Min-jae and Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan, who will be looking to help their country reach the knockout stages for the first time in 12 years.

South Korea squad

Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (Al Shabab), Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors)

Defenders: Kim Min-jae (Napoli), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Motors), Hong Chul (Daegu FC), Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Motors), Yoon Jong-gyu (FC Seoul), Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan Hyundai), Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Cho Yu-min (Daejon Citizen)

Midfielders: Jung Woo-young (Al Sadd), Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul), Paik Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan), Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk Motors), Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon Sangmu), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg), Lee Kang-in (Real Mallorca)

Forwards: Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos), Cho Gue-sung (Jeonbuk Motors), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)

Kesh Awefada

Kesh Awefada

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