Son Heung-min will not appear on the UEFA Europa League semifinal stage. Tottenham's ace is still in a slow recovery process.
Tottenham Hotspur announced on the 1st through the club's official channel that Son Heung-min would miss the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinals scheduled for the morning of the 2nd. The match will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London against Norway's Bodo/Glimt.
Son Heung-min has been unable to play since injuring himself during the first leg of the quarterfinals against Eintracht Frankfurt on the 11th of last month. At that time, he left the field after being substituted by Mathys Tel in the 34th minute of the second half following a series of rough challenges. Since then, he has missed four consecutive games, starting with the league match against Wolverhampton.
Son Heung-min has recorded 11 goals and 12 assists in the league and UEFA Europa League this season, playing a key role as the team's main attacker. However, he has been excluded from the lineup recently due to pain and conditioning issues following his injury.
The Tottenham fan community Spurs Web noted on the 30th that "Tottenham fans raised their voices in unison ahead of the match against Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinals."
It added that "Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou indicated that Son Heung-min's participation in the first leg is uncertain. In this situation, fans are demanding that he be excluded from the roster to prevent further injury."
If Son Heung-min's injury prolongs, distrust towards the Tottenham medical staff is likely to increase. Sports rehabilitation expert Dr. Razphol Brar warned, "Foot injuries have complex characteristics. The recovery speed depends on the treatment method."
Son Heung-min's absence is significantly impacting Tottenham's attacking strength. Substitute Mathys Tel has not met expectations, and Richarlison has also shown little presence on the left wing. Dejan Kulusevski is also experiencing inconsistent performance after returning from injury.
Ultimately, there has been no comeback this time either. Manager Postecoglou has determined that Son Heung-min's condition makes it difficult for him to participate in matches.
During a press conference on the 30th of last month, Manager Postecoglou stated, "Son Heung-min is still undergoing individual training and has not joined team training." He added that the recovery is ongoing and expressed hope for a quick return.
Tottenham, without Son Heung-min, has not been able to escape its recent shaky form. They narrowly secured a victory in the second leg against Frankfurt but have lost three consecutive league matches, leading to poor performance. In their last four games, they have won only once and lost three times. The UEFA Europa League is effectively their last hope.
On the 2nd, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinals. They must secure an advantage in the home match to increase their chances of advancing to the finals.
Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt, their opponents, is suffering from severe squad depletion. Due to accumulated yellow cards and injuries, six first-team players will miss this match. Bodo/Glimt is considered the weakest among the semifinalist teams due to their thin squad structure; the absence of starters adds to their uncertainty ahead of the match.
It remains to be seen if Tottenham can turn things around against a Bodo/Glimt side that is also missing several players.
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