Hong Myung-bo-ho replaced Son Heung-min with 'hamstring injury' Hong Hyun-seok... "break through 2 consecutive games" with Plan B
Hong Myung-bo-ho replaced Son Heung-min with 'hamstring injury' Hong Hyun-seok... "break through 2 consecutive games" with Plan B
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Fans are paying attention to Plan B as Hong Myung-bo will play the third and fourth rounds of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup without Son Heung-min (Tottenham) for the first time since its launch.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Monday that Son needs rest due to his left thigh injury, and decided to exclude him from the list of players convened in October to protect him. The substitute is Hong Hyun-suk (Mainz).
Eventually, concerns over "Son Heung-min's absence" became a reality.
Son Heung-min was replaced after complaining of thigh pain in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League (UEL) home game against Garabakh (Azerbaijan) on the 27th of last month.
Meanwhile, national team coach Hong Myung-bo included Son Heung-min when he announced the list of 26 Taegeuk Warriors to play in the third and fourth rounds of the Asian qualifying round for the North-China World Cup scheduled for October 10 (Jordan on the 10th and Iraq on the 15th).메이저사이트
However, Hong said, "I personally communicated with him whether he will participate or not," adding, "He and the club cannot afford to participate immediately. We will have to wait and see whether he will play or not."
Son Heung-min focused on rehabilitation in London, missing not only regular league games against Manchester United on the 29th of last month but also away matches against Ferencvaros (Hungary) and the Europa League on the same day.
In the end, in order to protect Son Heung-min, Hong gave him time to recover instead of joining the A-match in October, and selected striker Hong Hyun-seok, who plays for Mainz in the German Bundesliga, as an alternative resource.
As a result, Coach Hong will face a difficult situation in which he has to play the third round of World Cup qualifiers without Son Heung-min, a "solver" for the first time since taking the helm of the national team.
Son Heung-min has started on the left wing in both games since the launch of Hong Myung-bo, and in the second game of the third qualifying round against Oman, he showed off his "captain's dignity" by serving as a driving force for the 3-1 victory with one goal and two assists.
The absence of Son Heung-min, who plays a big role in the team's attack development, will inevitably be a burden to the national team.
Coach Hong has also been agonizing a lot about maintaining Son Heung-min's performance, who turned 32 this year.
"Son Heung-min has had a hard time going back and forth between the national team and his team. It is important now, but his condition and physical strength will continue to be very important," Hong said while announcing the list of the national team that will play in the third and fourth rounds of the World Cup qualifiers. "I will find a way for the player to do well without trying too hard."
Against this backdrop, Hong has decided to allow Son to take a break from two consecutive A matches in October. In addition, Hong has also prepared a framework for Plan B without Son.
"Many players can play in Son's position. Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Bae Joon-ho (Stoke City), and Lee Jae-sung (Mines) can play," Hong said when announcing the national team's roster.
As a result, Hong first selected "young blood" Bae Joon-ho, who is active in Stoke City in England's second division, and immediately called Hong Hyun-seok when Son Heung-min was excluded.
Son Heung-min's "left wing" position will be covered by Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung and Bae Jun-ho, while Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Hong Hyun-seok and Lee Dong-kyung (Kim Chun) can take over the right wing.
Coach Hong's concerns are focused on whether the player who will fill Son Heung-min's vacancy in the third and fourth rounds of the North Korea-China World Cup qualifiers can fully play the role of Son Heung-min.
In particular, it is worrisome that Hwang Hee-chan's recent performance, which shows bold breakthrough power in the side wings, is not good.
However, as Bae Joon-ho recorded two assists in recent league games and Hong Hyun-seok plays as the main player for his new team, Mainz, Hong Myung-bo's Plan B is also expected to produce good results.