Son Heung-min’s Injury Struggles: Return and Setback After 3 Weeks, Is Age A Factor?

Back after missing 3 weeks, then lost again
9 injuries in the last 5 years… Hamstrings only 5 times

South Korea’s Son Heung-min tries to make a breakthrough in the second match between Korea and Oman in the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America Asian Division 3rd Group B Group B Stage match against Oman last will be held at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, Oman on the 10th. (Korean time). (Provided by Korea Football Association) 2024.9.10 Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham) was a strong player, but he is increasingly absent from his bench.

Mac Heung-min missed the third match of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League (UEL) league stage against Alkmaar (Netherlands) held at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, England on the 25th (Korean time).

Son Heung-min disappeared again just one game after returning from injury.

Son Heung-min was replaced due to a hamstring injury in the first game of the UEL against Karabakh on the 27th of last month. After that, he missed the second match against Ferencvaros, as well as the English Premier League (EPL) match against Manchester United and Brighton, and was absent for about three weeks.

In addition, he was excluded from the convocation of two national team A matches for the 3rd qualifying round of the North and Central America World Cup held during this period, and was unable to join the national team for 2 years and 8 months after 2022.

Son Heung-min, who had focused solely on rehabilitation in London, seemed to have made a successful comeback by scoring in the 8th round of the English Premier League (EPL) against West Ham United on the 19th.

However, coach Enze Postecoglou removed Son Heung-min from the lineup before the Alkmaar game, saying he complained again of pain.

Son Heung-min, the main striker for Tottenham and the national team, has been highly rated for his consistent top performances, including as the EPL’s top scorer in 2021-22 season. So we don’t know about the recent frequent injuries and the resulting poor condition.

Son Heung-min’s injury frequency has definitely increased.

In the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, Son Heung-min was injured a total of 5 times. However, in the last five years, from 2020 to 2024, he was injured nine times. Injuries were caused by the blows of the opponent, such as a broken arm and a broken face, but it should be noted that the injury on the string was repeated five times.

It is not only the number of injuries but also the recovery trend that is worrying. In the past, even when Son Heung-min was injured, he returned to play earlier than expected and showed his health with consistent performance, earning him the nickname ‘Iron Man’.

But this time was different. Even though he returned after focusing solely on rehabilitation and rest, he withdrew again after just one game. Under the circumstances, it may be a rest rather than a recurrence of a serious injury, but it is true that the recovery rate is different compared to before.

Son Heung-min is a sprinter-type striker who uses speed. Gives strength with an instant burst of muscle strength. So, as you get injured more often or get older, there are limits to maintaining your previous skills.

I was born in 1992, I am already 32 years old. Like all legends in history, inevitably, as they get older, their performances will be far from their prime. Son Heung-min has always been fast, menacing and lived up to expectations, but that can’t last forever. He also indirectly said that he was standing in front of the road that was going down from the roof.

After the West Ham game, Son Heung-min said, “Unfortunately, I am now 32 years old. Past games will not come back. He made a meaningful comment, saying, “I want to play every remaining game as if it were the last of my career. It is a time when fans also have to accept that they have no choice but to come down little by little from the top.

(Seoul = News 1)