South Korea captain Son Heung-min will play only a limited role in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and Kuwait as he continues to recover from a foot injury, coach Hong Myung-bo said on Monday. Son is still building his fitness after being out for two months and recently returned to action as a substitute in Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.
South Korea currently lead Group B by three points. They will play Iraq in Basra on June 5, then return home to face Kuwait five days later in their final match of the third round. If South Korea avoids losing to Iraq, they will secure a spot in their 11th straight World Cup. Iraq, meanwhile, recently appointed former Australia manager Graham Arnold as their new head coach.
Coach Hong explained that Son’s playing time will be managed carefully. “We haven’t decided exactly how much Son will play, but I know he’s always eager and motivated,” he told reporters. “Because we have two important matches, I won’t put too much pressure on him. Once we arrive in Iraq, we’ll decide which game to focus on more.”
The 56-year-old coach said Son’s experience will be very helpful in Iraq, even if he doesn’t get to play.
“We’ll likely face a tough crowd with home fans supporting Iraq,” he said.
“Some of our players have been in similar situations before. We need to remember that when we enter the stadium for this game.”
