[스포티비뉴스=런던(영국) 박대성 기자] “I hope I never get injured again. Every game is precious. I’m 32 years old and every game is like gold. Once a game is gone, it never comes back. I want to play like I played my last game.” (Son Heung-min)
Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham Hotspur) has trouble with his muscles. After recovering well, he returned to play against West Ham and played about 70 minutes, but the injury appears to have recurred. I was unable to participate in training in preparation for the Crystal Palace match. Locally, there is already a strong possibility that he will miss the weekend game.
At a press conference ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League 9th round match against Crystal Palace to be held at Selhurst Park in London, England, coach Angie Postekoglu said, “Son Heung-min is not at 100% yet. He is not participating in training. Let’s take a closer look at the situation.” He had reservations about playing against Crystal Palace, saying, “We have to wait and see.”
Son Heung-min suffered a hamstring injury while playing against Karabakh in the UEFA Europa League league phase in September. Afterwards, he concentrated on recovering from his injury, missing three games and one Europa League game until the game against West Ham. Son Heung-min has been playing without major injuries for 10 seasons at Tottenham under the nickname “Steel King,” but this time he has been suffering for quite some time.
In the game against West Ham, Son Heung-min showed light movements. Fans gathered at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium gave enthusiastic support and cheers when Son Heung-min played. He scored one goal that day and contributed to the team’s victory by causing an own goal.
After playing for about 70 minutes, he prepared for the next game, but it appears that he suffered from muscle pain. Considering Son Heung-min’s condition, Coach Postekoglou rested him during the Europa League match against Alkmaar, but was not sure whether he would play until the game against Crystal Palace.
Even before the game against Alkmaar, Coach Postekoglou made a cautious decision, saying, “Son Heung-min was unable to complete training due to his remaining pain, and it would be better for him not to play.” In the match against Alkmaar, a thorough rotation strategy was used, using a large number of 1.5 players instead of the main players. Instead of starting goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario, Fraser Foster guarded the goal, and the defensive line and midfielders mainly featured reserve players such as Ben Davis and Lucas Beribal.
Despite a major change in strength, Tottenham succeeded in conserving the stamina of its main players by winning 1-0 against Alkmaar. Key players, including Son Heung-min, were able to store their stamina, but Son Heung-min’s recovery speed is not as fast as before, so his possibility of playing in the game against Crystal Palace is still unclear.
Tottenham has a tight schedule even after the Crystal Palace game. We have to play the League Cup with Manchester City and continue the match with Aston Villa in the Premier League. Son Heung-min showed sharp performance in the match against Crystal Palace and was at the center of the attack, but considering that Crystal Palace is in the relegation zone, Son Heung-min is expected to be given more rest and not play too much. With Son Heung-min out, it became inevitable for Tottenham to reorganize their offensive line. If Son Heung-min is out, the responsibility of substitute strikers such as Timo Werner and Richarlison is expected to increase.
British media outlet Evening Standard News also reported, “Coach Postekoglou said team captain Son Heung-min would not be able to play against Crystal Palace.” There was a similar reaction on the Tottenham official page that announced the team news.
In an interview after the West Ham game after returning from a hamstring injury, Son Heung-min was asked, “How is my physical condition now?” and answered, “It’s good. I’ve had a good rehabilitation for two weeks and I hope I don’t get injured again. Every game is precious.” “I’m 32 years old and every game is like gold. Once it’s over, I want to play like it’s my last game.”
