Jeong Woo-young ruled out for season after serious ankle injury at Union Berlin

It is unfortunate news. 'National team winger' Jeong Woo-young (26, Union Berlin) could not avoid being ruled out for the season.

German 'Bild' reported on the 2nd (Korean time) that "Jeong Woo-young's season is over! The worst fears have been confirmed. Forward Jeong Woo-young can no longer play for Union this season."

The media explained that "Jeong Woo-young suffered a serious ligament injury to his left ankle during the match against Freiburg on Sunday. This means he will be sidelined in Union's fight for survival. Jeong Woo-young is scheduled to meet with a specialist in Frankfurt on Wednesday to set a date for surgery."

Jeong Woo-young joined Union on loan from Stuttgart ahead of this season. He showed good form early in the season, including scoring his debut goal in the 4th round, but has been silent since then. He received regular playing opportunities but struggled to make offensive contributions.

However, Jeong Woo-young showcased light movements recently, scoring for the first time in 100 days in the match against Frankfurt last month. His season statistics include 23 matches, 3 goals, and 2 assists. This had led to speculation about the possibility of a permanent transfer to Union, but everything came to a halt with this sudden season-ending injury.

Union defeated SC Freiburg 2-1 in an away match in the 27th round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga at Europa Park Stadion in Freiburg on the 30th of last month.

On that day, Jeong Woo-young played as an attacking midfielder in a 3-4-2-1 formation. He had started in two consecutive matches following the 26th round match against Bayern Munich.

However, a major setback occurred just four minutes into the match. Jeong Woo-young twisted his left ankle as it caught on the grass. He received treatment briefly but could no longer continue playing. Eventually, he was substituted for Tim Skarke in the 8th minute.

After the match, Jeong Woo-young was seen on crutches. He hobbled while leaning on the crutches to greet the away fans, needing assistance from a teammate. Union’s head coach Steffen Baumgart sighed and noted, "Unfortunately, Jeong Woo-young has sprained his ankle. If he is walking out on crutches, we can only hope for the best. But we believe the situation is not good."

There are concerns that Jeong Woo-young could be sidelined for the entire season. Bild reported, "Could the match against Freiburg be Jeong Woo-young's last game at Union? Has his season at Union come to an end? If the worst fears become a reality, this injury could mean he is ruled out for the season. Coach Baumgart stated that he will receive an MRI soon to see if he can continue playing."

The uneasy premonitions did not miss. The media reported, "Jeong Woo-young may be able to recover to some extent after 4 to 6 weeks. That would mark the end of his season." They added that "It is still unclear how the loan from Stuttgart will play out. Jeong Woo-young, who has recorded 3 goals and 2 assists in 23 matches, may receive recommendations to stay at Union."

However, it is uncertain whether Union will retain Jeong Woo-young. Earlier, Bild noted, "If Jeong Woo-young's season is over, he could leave Union as is. He is a loaned player from Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart. Union has a permanent transfer option for about €6 million (approximately 9.5 billion won). However, there are doubts about whether Director General Horst Heldt and the club board want to spend that much money."

The media also added that "Coach Baumgart and the board see the need for Jeong Woo-young to improve, especially on the defensive side. He is now in a position to quietly say goodbye to Union with crutches!"

Jeong Woo-young is a winger who transferred to Bayern Munich from Incheon Daegun High School in 2018 after being selected by coach Carlo Ancelotti. After joining the youth team, he quickly made his first-team debut and garnered much anticipation. He made history as the first Korean to wear and play in a Bayern jersey, much faster than Kim Min-jae.

Jeong Woo-young later moved to Freiburg to gain playing opportunities and accumulated experience through loans with the Bayern B team. He made a mark during the 2021-2022 season with 5 goals at Freiburg and established a new nest at Stuttgart in the summer of 2023.

Jeong Woo-young has continued to perform well while wearing the Taegeuk mark. He made his A-match debut in 2021 after being called up by coach Paulo Bento and participated in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. He also showcased his presence in age-group national teams, becoming the top scorer at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September 2023.

However, Jeong Woo-young, who had been struggling in the Bundesliga, is looking to continue his journey with Union. Bild reported that "Jeong Woo-young will think staying at Union is the better option. He said in an interview three weeks ago, 'I am very happy in Berlin. I hope to stay here in the summer as well.'"

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