Son Heung-min (Tottenham) will ultimately be unable to participate in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals. Tottenham, missing its key striker, is once again struggling.
Tottenham Hotspur officially announced on its website on the 1st (Korean time) that Son Heung-min will miss the home match against Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League semifinals. The match will be held on the 2nd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, according to Korean time.
Son Heung-min has not played since sustaining an injury during the first leg of the quarterfinals against Eintracht Frankfurt on the 11th of last month. He struggled under intense defensive pressure and was substituted for Mathys Tel late in the second half. Since then, he has missed four consecutive matches, including one against Wolverhampton in the Premier League.
This season, Son Heung-min has led the team's offense with 11 goals and 12 assists combined in the league and European competitions. However, he has recently been missing even from the match list due to the effects of injuries. The club's position is that he needs time to recover.
According to the British fan community SpursWeb, there is also controversy among local fans regarding Son Heung-min's possible return. The community reported that most fans' opinions are against his participation ahead of the first leg of the semifinals. Although head coach Ange Postecoglou has kept the possibility of Son Heung-min’s participation open, fans are concerned about the risk of further injury and prefer to exclude him from the roster altogether.
Experts have also analyzed that it is difficult to view Son Heung-min’s condition optimistically. Sports medicine expert Dr. Rajpal Brar explained that Son Heung-min's foot injury is of a type that does not heal easily, and the speed of rehabilitation is greatly influenced by the treatment method and approach.
Son Heung-min's absence is affecting the entire Tottenham attack. Mathys Tel is being utilized as a substitute but has left room for concern due to a lack of decisiveness, while Richarlison has also failed to make an impressive impact from the flanks. Dejan Kulusevski has shown inconsistent performances since his return and has not fully covered the gap.
In the end, Son Heung-min's return has been canceled once again. Head coach Postecoglou explained during a press conference held the previous day that Son Heung-min has not yet participated in team training and is currently in a state where actual match participation is difficult. He added that recovery is progressing slowly and expressed hope for a quick return.
Tottenham’s performance is also wavering without Son Heung-min. They narrowly won the second leg of the quarterfinals against Frankfurt, but afterward lost three consecutive league matches, plummeting into the lower ranks. In the last four matches, they have managed only one victory, recording losses in three matches. The remaining Europa League is virtually their last hope of the season.
Football Insider reported fans' reactions to the news of Son Heung-min's absence, stating that there is no respect for his dedication so far.
"It’s time to say thanks to Son Heung-min and sell him," and "To be honest, considering his performance, his absence is not a significant loss for Tottenham," were among the reactions.
Tottenham will play the first leg of the semifinals against Bodo/Glimt on the 2nd. They need to gain an advantage in this home match to seize a key opportunity for advancing to the finals.
Meanwhile, Tottenham's opponent Bodo/Glimt is also in a difficult situation. Six key players are unavailable due to a buildup of yellow cards and injuries, and there is a severe depletion of their strength. They were already evaluated as the weakest team among the semifinalists, and now the departure of key players has caused significant imbalances in their strength.
Attention is focused on whether Tottenham can turn the tide against Bodo/Glimt, who have suffered a depletion of strength.
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