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Son saw his South Korea teammate leave the stadium on crutches following a draw with Oman.
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min has labelled the injuries suffered by South Korea teammates as ‘heartbreaking’ following the nation’s 1-1 draw with Oman on Thursday.
South Korea conceded an equaliser with 10 minutes left to play as the underdogs stunned the hosts in the World Cup qualifier. Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan had put Son’s side into the lead but a Ali Al Busaidi strike from distance left the crowd at the Goyang Stadium shocked. South Korea still lead the group and are in a strong position for World Cup qualification.
Hong Myung-bo’s side suffered two injuries in that match, as well as dropping points. Birmingham City midfielder Paik Seung-ho came off early but was part of the team that completed a lap of the stadium after full-time to thank the supporters.
Tottenham Hotspur star ‘heartbroken’ by injuries
It looked to be a more serious problem for PSG attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in, who came off the bench only to be taken off again with an injury to his left foot. The 24-year-old had to be carried off the pitch and was seen using crutches when leaving the stadium.
As quoted by South Korean football expert Joel Kim, Son told the media: "As a teammate and a friend, it’s heartbreaking to see players get injured. I don’t know how serious their injuries are, but I really hope they aren’t severe."
Kang-in may be a familiar name to Tottenham Hotspur and Premier League clubs with the player hotly linked with a transfer to the top flight in January. The Athletic carried reports in early January that Arsenal are ‘well aware’ of the player, who joined PSG from Mallorca for £18 million in 2023. The midfielder was touted as a potential replacement for Gabriel Martinelli.
Nothing came of those reports in January but transfer talk has not ended, with Martinelli still linked with a summer exit from the Emirates Stadium. Korean outlet Chosun Biz carried reports this month that the player’s agent had visited Manchester United with links to the Red Devils and named the Gunners, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United as other interested clubs.
Son ‘frustrated’ by South Korea result
Giving his verdict on South Korea’s 1-1 draw, Son added: "The result is very frustrating. I'm disappointed in myself and feel sorry for my teammates. This match is not the only one we will play. We have been running so far and have created a good situation. There is not even enough time to be disappointed. I hope this match will be an opportunity for development..
“There are things players simply can't control [controversial referee decisions]. We can't say much about the decisions, even though some were frustrating and unfair. But since we can't change them, we must respect the referee’s decisions. Instead, we need to play cleaner and better football to avoid those situations.
"People might think the final qualifying round is easy, but Asian football has improved a lot, and every match is tough. We need to prepare more and study our opponents better. I believe today’s game was a lesson for us. Still, there are positive aspects to take from this qualifying campaign, and we need to focus on those."
In other news, Fabrizio Romano has hinted at when Tottenham Hotspur may make a decision on the potential sacking of Ange Postecoglou.