Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) is facing an extended absence. Contrary to expectations of his imminent return, he is unlikely to appear in the match against West Ham United.
Tottenham Hotspur will face West Ham United shortly at 10 p.m. on the 4th (Korean time) in an away match in the 35th round of the 2024-2025 Premier League season at London Stadium. Currently positioned 16th with 37 points, Tottenham must protect their pride against West Ham (17th). Although three teams have already confirmed their relegations, both teams have alleviated their worries about relegation, but a defeat would lead to a reversal in rankings.
Son Heung-min will not participate again on this day. He has been absent from official matches since the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals against Eintracht Frankfurt on the 11th of last month, missing five consecutive matches since then. On the 2nd, in the first leg of the semifinals against Bode/Glimt, he was only seen supporting his teammates from the stands.
Given the situation, the possibility of a 'season out' naturally arises. The British outlet 'Tottenham Hotspur News' recently expressed concerns, stating, "Son Heung-min may have already played his last game of the season."
Manager Ange Postecoglou noted in a press conference on the 3rd, "Son Heung-min is diligently rehabilitating, and his condition is improving every day. Although he has not yet joined team training, he is undergoing individual training on the grass." He added, "We will have to monitor his participation in the match against Bode."
In fact, Son Heung-min has returned to training. The fan community 'Spurs Express' reported, "Son Heung-min has finally returned to training. However, he will miss the match against West Ham. There is still time until the match against Bode, so we hope he can complete his recovery by then."
Realistically, for Tottenham, the Europa League is a more important stage. This is because regaining a trophy after 17 years and securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League for next season are at stake. In this situation, pushing Son Heung-min too hard comes with a big burden. Tottenham hopes that Son Heung-min will return in peak condition for the finals.
From a season record perspective, there are regrets. Son Heung-min has recorded 7 goals and 9 assists in the league this season. With three league matches still remaining, if he adds 3 goals and 1 assist, he could achieve the meaningful milestone of '10-10' in the league. Except for the 2015-2016 season, this would be the seventh consecutive season with double-digit goals in the league for Son Heung-min, making it an important marker.
In addition, if he achieves a hat trick this season, he could set an unprecedented record of five consecutive hat tricks in the Premier League. Notably, he has been strong against remaining opponents such as Crystal Palace (17 matches, 9 goals) and Aston Villa (11 matches, 7 goals), so the possibility is not completely gone.
Of course, all of this depends on whether Son Heung-min successfully returns. As the pace of his recovery from injury slows, the focus is shifting from personal records to team victories. Tottenham insider Paul O'Keefe predicted, "Son Heung-min could miss until before the finals, but if the team reaches the finals, he will definitely return."
Tottenham has been without a trophy since winning the League Cup in 2008. Son Heung-min has also had no connection with trophies throughout his career. The closest opportunity has been the current Europa League. All eyes are on when Son Heung-min's return will be and how it will connect to the team's season fate.
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