There is unfortunate news for the South Korean national football team as well. 'Little' Jung Woo-young (26, Union Berlin) has ultimately undergone surgery.

On the 4th (Korean time), Jung Woo-young revealed his ankle surgery on personal social media, stating, "The surgery went well!! I'm disappointed I can't be with you until the end of this season, but I will come back stronger. I‘ll be back," he pledged.

His teammates, including Lee Kang-in and Seol Young-woo, who have played together in the national team, left supportive comments. The Union Berlin club account and his former team Stuttgart colleague Nick Woltemade also sent messages of encouragement. Bayern Munich junior Lee Hyun-joo also wrote in German, "Get well soon."

Jung Woo-young has recently confirmed his unfortunate season out. He joined Union on loan, leaving Stuttgart before this season. He joined Stuttgart in the summer of 2023 but fell behind in the competition for a starting position last season.

To secure playing time, Jung Woo-young wore the Union uniform. He made a good impression at the beginning of the season, scoring on his debut in the 4th round, but subsequently fell silent. He consistently received playing opportunities, yet struggled to accumulate offensive points.

Nevertheless, Jung Woo-young recently showcased agile movements as he scored for the first time in 100 days against Frankfurt last month. He consistently started, establishing himself as a key player. His season record stands at 23 matches, with 3 goals and 2 assists. There was a strong possibility that Union would consider a full transfer given Jung Woo-young's resurgence.

However, on the 30th of last month, Jung Woo-young collapsed during a match against SC Freiburg. He started against his former team, but twisted his left ankle just four minutes into the match. After receiving brief treatment, he attempted to get back up but could no longer continue. Eventually, he was substituted out in the 8th minute of the first half.

After the match, Jung Woo-young was seen using crutches. He limped and leaned on the crutches to greet the traveling fans. He required assistance from a teammate.

Steffen Baumgart, the Union coach, noted, "Unfortunately, Jung Woo-young has sprained his ankle. If he goes out with crutches, we can only hope for the best possible outcome. However, we believe the situation is not good," he sighed.

Concerns about a season-ending injury for Jung Woo-young were raised. Germany's Bild reported, "Could the match against Freiburg be Jung Woo-young's last at Union? Is the season over for Jung Woo-young at Union? If the worst fears materialize, this injury might mean he is out for the season. Coach Baumgart stated he would undergo an MRI soon and then confirm whether he can play again."

Unfortunately, the uneasy premonition did not miss. The media reported on the 2nd, "Jung Woo-young's season is over! The worst fears have been confirmed. Jung Woo-young will no longer be able to play for Union this season," adding, "Jung Woo-young has suffered a severe ligament injury to his left ankle. This means he will be missing from Union's fight for survival. He is expected to meet a specialist in Frankfurt on Wednesday to schedule his surgery date."

Ultimately, Jung Woo-young underwent surgery. Fortunately, the surgery appears to have ended successfully, but it is an exceedingly disappointing injury for Jung Woo-young, who was coming back strong in the second half. Especially as a complete transfer to Union has become uncertain, the future has become unpredictable. Even if he returns to Stuttgart, securing a position will not be easy.

Bild also highlighted, "Jung Woo-young could leave Union this way. Union holds a full transfer option of about 6 million euros (approximately 9.5 billion won). However, it raises questions as to whether the board really wants to spend that much money," stating, "Coach Baumgart and the upper management believe Jung Woo-young needs improvement, especially on the defensive end. He is now in a position where he must quietly bid farewell to Union while using crutches!"

Jung Woo-young is a winger who moved from Incheon Daegun High School to Bayern Munich in 2018 after being selected by coach Carlo Ancelotti. He quickly made his first-team debut after joining the youth team and was highly anticipated. He made a record as the first Korean to wear the Bayern uniform, doing so much faster than Kim Min-jae.

Afterwards, Jung Woo-young transferred to Freiburg to gain playing opportunities and accumulated experience through loan spells with Bayern's B team. He made his mark during the 2021-2022 season at Freiburg, scoring 5 goals, and secured a new home with Stuttgart in the summer of 2023.

Jung Woo-young has steadily performed while wearing the taeguk 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 emerged as the top scorer in the age-group national team at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, contributing to the team's gold medal win.

Of course, Jung Woo-young has been going through a tough time at Union, and since March 2024, his role in the national team has decreased. Although he was called by coach Hong Myung-bo last November, he did not get to play.

There were many forecasts that Jung Woo-young would re-enter the competition for the national team in the second half, but due to the ankle surgery, it became difficult for him to participate in the June A-match. According to Bild, he will need about 6 weeks to recover.

[Photo] ⓒGetty Images (No unauthorized reproduction or redistribution), Union Berlin social media.

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