World Cup: ‘I am not a doctor,’ says injured South Korea star Son Heung-min

DOHA – South Korea captain Son Heung-min said that he is unsure if he can play all their matches at the World Cup after undergoing surgery to stabilise a fracture around his left eye.

He was included in South Korea’s squad for the tournament despite suffering a fractured eye socket playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League earlier in November.

The 30-year-old attacker, who will wear a protective mask during the matches in Qatar, had his first training session with the team in Doha on Wednesday and was spotted wearing the equipment.

“I’m not a doctor. It’s difficult for me to say when I can play,” Son, whose side begin their Group H campaign against Uruguay next Thursday, told reporters.

“I’ll do the best I can under the circumstances. But it’s tough for me to say right now that I will play every game.

“From the fans’ perspective, I may be pushing this too far. But football players always compete under such risks.

“I just want to give our fans joy and hope. I’m more than willing to bear those risks.”

Following his surgery, he said: “Playing for your country at the World Cup is the dream of so many children growing up, just as it was one of mine too. I won’t miss this for the world. I can’t wait to represent our beautiful country.”

Son also said he was getting used to playing with the mask – reportedly supplied by Tottenham – and added that the swelling on his face had reduced.

“These carbon masks are really light and they likely won’t break,” he said. “I was surprised that it was considerably lighter than I thought. It’s good material that can protect against impact.

“And if a mask breaks, it means something has happened to my face. So I hope it doesn’t come to that,” added the Spurs forward.

South Korea’s Portuguese coach Paulo Bento had previously said that Son, who also played in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, would be eager to get back to action as soon as possible.

“It’s something normal from Sonny because along the process he showed the wish and the will and the desire to come and play with the national team,” said the 53-year-old, who added that he had no Plan B should Son not recover – such is the importance of the player for the Taegeuk Warriors.

Son is not only South Korea’s captain, he is also their best player and has scored 35 goals in 104 international appearances.

In October, he was 11th in the voting for the Ballon d’Or, while he won the English Premier League’s Golden Boot last season for most goals scored (23), alongside Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Son has yet to win a trophy at club level, but in 2018, he led his nation to gold at the Asian Games and earned exemption from military service.

South Korea, who will be making their 10th consecutive appearance at the World Cup Finals, also take on Ghana and Portugal in their group. The tournament starts on Sunday and will run till Dec 18. REUTERS, AFP