Star News Reporter Lee Won-hee | 2023.02.25 10:37
Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) is also expected to start the game from the bench against rival Chelsea.
England’s Football London said on the 25th (Korean time), “Coach Christian Stellini’s problems with Son Heung-min led to the bench decision against West Ham last week.”
Son Heung-min was listed as a replacement, not a starter, against West Ham, who won 2-0 on the 20th. “It was because of the players’ condition,” said Stellini, who temporarily leads the team in place of manager Antonio Conte, who is recovering from health problems. “Players need recovery time. They have to prepare for the future.”
“We have to play 4 games in the next 10 days and every game will be hard. We want every player to be 100%. If one player is 100% and another is 70%, we have a player who is 100%. You have to choose,” he said.
In other words, he emphasized that Son Heung-min and Richarlison are showing a difference in terms of condition. It is highly likely that Son Heung-min will sit on the bench in the match against Chelsea on the 26th.
Whoscored.com, a European soccer statistics site, also predicted that Son Heung-min would be excluded from the selection. Harry Kane, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski were predicted as Tottenham’s starting list for Chelsea. It is the same attacking line as the previous West Ham match.
England’s The Bootroom also predicted, “Coach Stellini is concerned about the players’ stamina consumption as the season progresses. If so, Son Heung-min may play a similar role (as a substitute) in the match against Chelsea.”
It’s not necessarily a bad decision. Son Heung-min has always performed at his best in games where he played as a substitute. He made 2 substitute appearances this season, both scoring goals. He scored a hat-trick against Rest City in September of last year, and scored a key goal in the previous West Ham match to lead the team to victory. It was a comma, but at the same time, it was a match that prepared a rebound point.
But the match against Chelsea is a special game. It has a deeper meaning as a rival game. Also, depending on the result of this game, Tottenham can seize the opportunity to solidify their 4th place spot.
The Boot Room also said, “It was a wise operation to give Son Heung-min a little break against West Ham. But in big matches, star players want to play. Conte has to make a decision.”
[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
