'Vice captain' Cristian Romero (27) couldn't hold back his candid remarks. 'Captain' Son Heung-min (33) has not been recovering well despite the treatment from Tottenham's medical staff.

The British outlet '90MIN' reported on the 28th (Korea time), "Angie Postecoglou revealed the latest updates on Son Heung-min's injury ahead of the Europa League semifinals. Tottenham captain Son Heung-min suffered a foot injury earlier this month and has missed the last 4 matches."

Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt (Norway) in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League (UEL) semifinals for the 2024-2025 season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 2nd of next month. Tottenham must aim for victory at home before embarking on the away leg.

Winning the UEL is Tottenham's last hope this season. Tottenham is sitting in 16th place in the Premier League, and there is a significant chance they could finish the season in 17th place. They have already recorded 19 losses in 34 league matches. This ties the record for the most losses in a season for Tottenham since the Premier League's inception in 1992 (1993-1994 season, 2003-2004 season).

While Tottenham is having a disastrous season, winning the UEL would allow them to end the season on a positive note. If Tottenham defeats Bodo and makes it to the finals, and then overcomes the winner between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao, they would break a 17-year trophy drought since winning the League Cup in the 2007-2008 season. Son Heung-min would also secure his first career title.

However, Son Heung-min is still absent. He has not played since he was substituted in the second leg of the UEL quarterfinal against Frankfurt on the 11th. Including the match against Liverpool on the 28th, he has been excluded from the lineup for 4 consecutive matches.

Still, Son Heung-min has not fully recovered. '90MIN' noted, "Coach Postecoglou clearly stated the situation surrounding Son Heung-min, admitting there is significant doubt about whether the captain will be able to play in Thursday’s Europa League semifinal first leg. Tottenham lost all 3 Premier League matches played without Son Heung-min, but they won the quarterfinals of the Europa League to advance to the semifinals."

The outlet stated, "Tottenham is aiming for a major trophy after 17 years and a place in the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League, so the Europa League presents a critical opportunity to finish a disappointing season well. 32-year-old Son Heung-min has seen a decline from his peak several seasons ago, but as a veteran and club legend, he has recorded 11 goals and 12 assists across all competitions so far."

However, Son Heung-min's participation in the first leg against Bodo is uncertain. Coach Postecoglou said in an interview with the British 'BBC', "Son Heung-min is in a precarious situation. We will have to monitor him until Thursday. He will work hard. Even if he is not ready to play in the first leg, he should be prepared for the second leg."

Son Heung-min's recovery has taken longer than expected. Until he missed the match against Wolverhampton, he seemed likely to accompany the team for the second leg against Frankfurt in the UEL quarterfinals. However, Son Heung-min had been playing with pain for weeks and has been absent for nearly 3 weeks.

It seems Coach Postecoglou did not expect the recovery to take this long. Ahead of the match against Nottingham on the 22nd, he expressed concern, stating, "Son Heung-min's issue has worsened instead of improving. Since rest is crucial for such injuries, I will give him some time. Son Heung-min always wants to train. However, I plan to keep him rested for a few days and monitor the situation."

The fortunate aspect is that Son Heung-min has partially resumed training. During the pre-match press conference before the Liverpool match, Coach Postecoglou said, "Son Heung-min is trying to get back on the field. Positively, he is improving, but he won’t be able to play on Sunday. He has improved significantly. He ventured onto the grass for the first time today. He has been getting better every day."

Coach Postecoglou and the Tottenham medical staff cannot escape responsibility. The team has suffered from injuries to key players throughout the season. Despite this, they haven't been able to present effective solutions, which led to Son Heung-min’s downfall. In January, Geoff Scott, the Head of Team for Tottenham’s medical and sports science department, resigned after a clash with Coach Postecoglou.

In particular, Romero publicly targeted Tottenham’s medical staff last month. After recovering from a collapse last December, he dedicated more time to rehabilitation than expected and didn't return to the field until early March. Romero expressed his frustration through Argentinian media, saying, "I could have come back sooner, but there was no progress. Everything went wrong."

Romero also criticized Tottenham's medical staff after playing a match in the Tottenham uniform after a long time. He posted on social media, "The physical therapists in Argentina helped me get back from a bad moment, allowing me to return to a very happy pitch. Thank you," expressing his displeasure with the Tottenham medical staff.

If Son Heung-min also suffers a prolonged injury due to inadequate treatment like Romero, it would confirm issues with Tottenham's medical staff. Dr. Razpal Brar, a sports physical therapist and rehabilitation expert, also warned, "The foot is the area that bears the most weight. Even minor injuries can often have complicated prognoses. Son Heung-min’s participation relies on how well the treatment and recovery progress."

The problem is that, realistically, there is no player to satisfactorily fill Son Heung-min’s absence. Mathys Tel, who was expected to be the long-term replacement for Son Heung-min, has been underperforming, and Richarlison has not shown excellent performances on the left. Dejan Kulusevski has just returned and is not in good condition.

The British outlet 'Sports Mole' stated, "After Son Heung-min underwent treatment, Postecoglou has fielded only one player on the left wing: Tel. However, he has scored only once in 4 matches and has not contributed any attacking points in the last 3 matches. But Postecoglou does not have many options. Timo Werner has not played a minute since February 9, and Mikey Moore is excluded from the UEL roster."

The British outlet 'Football London' predicted Tel would start. The outlet reported, "With questions surrounding the physical condition of captain Son Heung-min, Tel could start. Even if he returns from his foot injury on match day, it would be wise for him to start from the bench, as the match against Frankfurt was his last appearance. An equally important game is scheduled in Norway a week later."

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Sky Sports.

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