Heung-min is expected to miss Tottenham’s Premier League clash against Brighton this weekend after being dropped from South Korea’s squad due to a hamstring injury.
The Spurs captain was forced off in the second half of the 3-0 win against Qarabag FK in the Europa League last Thursday.
Son subsequently missed Spurs’ 3-0 victory away to Manchester United in the Premier League last Sunday and did not travel with the squad to Hungary for their 2-1 win against Ferencvaros last night.
Ange Postecoglou is yet to confirm whether Son will be available to feature against Brighton on Sunday and said before the win against Ferencvaros that the 32-year-old had remained in London for ‘rehab’.
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However, South Korea have since announced that Son will not be called up for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Jordan and Iran during the international break next week.
A statement from the South Korean FA on Friday read: ‘We have decided that Son Heung-min, who injured his left thigh, needs rest.
We have decided to exclude him from the national team squad for the sake of protecting the player.’
Speaking before his injury, Son had raised concerns over the congested fixture schedule that players are now faced with.
‘You don’t want to see players struggling with injuries. No one wants to see it,’ said Son.
‘A lot of games, a lot of traveling. We’ve got to look after ourselves, which sometimes is very hard. Mentally, physically, you’re not ready. Then going on to the pitch and then the risk of injury is massive. We’re not robots.’
Destiny Udogie also missed Spurs’ latest win in the Europa League on Thursday after he was forced off at half time against Manchester United last Sunday.
Since their defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby on September 15, Spurs have won their last five games in all competitions.
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‘Copy and paste!’ – England interim boss Lee Carsley keen to leave own stamp as Dominic Solanke and key trio recalled
England interim boss Lee Carsley admits he does not want his squads to feel like a “copy and paste” job after unveiling his latest selections for the October international break.
Tottenham forward Dominic Solanke is in line to add to his lone England cap after he was recalled to the national team seven years on from his 2017 debut for the Three Lions.
The influential trio of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer also return, but there was no room for Harry Maguire, Eberechi Eze, Tino Livramento and Jarrod Bowen.
Speaking on his selections, ex-Young Lions coach Carsley was insistent his omissions were not out of favour, but stressed he will also not pick names for the sake of them.
“In the back of my mind, I wanted to make sure it feels fresh,” he said. “[I want it so that it] feels that when you get that email or WhatsApp [to say] that you’ve been called up, that it’s an achievement
“It shouldn’t be something that is taken for granted I thought it was important that it is not just a copy and paste. I want them to feel like they have earned their place in the squad.”
The return of Bellingham, Foden and Palmer leave Carsley with his biggest headache yet as England boss, as he considers how best to fit them into his plans.
The former pair were La Liga and Premier League Player of the Year last term, while Palmer – a key figure for the Young Lions – has enjoyed a sensational start to the year.
“You’d try and find a way of getting them into the team,” Carsley admitted. “We’ve got to be creative. If they are all playing well and they all earn that place in the team, [then yes].”
Maguire was omitted despite a recall in September, having missed Euro 2024 through injury, with the defender carrying a knock over the past few weeks too.
