Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) directly mentioned his return from injury. He hinted at his potential participation in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final.
On the 9th (Korea time), Son Heung-min posted a congratulatory poster for Tottenham's advancement to the 2024-2025 UEL final on his Instagram story with the message, "Good morning. See you on the pitch soon."
Son Heung-min missed 7 official matches after injuring his foot in the first leg of the UEL quarterfinal against Eintracht Frankfurt on the 11th of last month. He did not play in 4 Premier League matches and 3 UEL matches.
He did not participate in the away match against Bodø/Glimt in the UEL semifinals held on the 9th. Tottenham won this match 2-0, advancing to the final with an aggregate score of 5-1 over the two legs. They will face Manchester United (Man U) for the title on the 22nd.
As soon as Tottenham's advancement to the final was confirmed, Son Heung-min left a message hinting at his return, raising the expectations of fans who have been longing for his comeback. Especially, this final is significant as it is Son Heung-min's first opportunity to aim for a title on the European stage.
British media are also paying attention to the timing of Son Heung-min's return.
Local media 'Sports Mol' noted, "There is a possibility that Son Heung-min could return in the EPL Round 36 home match against Crystal Palace scheduled for the 11th," hinting he might come back even earlier. EPL injury report 'Premier League Injuries' also predicted Son Heung-min's return for the 11th.
If Son Heung-min participates in the Crystal Palace match, he can regain game sharpness ahead of the UEL final.
Manchester United is also closely monitoring Son Heung-min's condition. The 'Manchester Evening News' reported, "Man U is keeping a close eye on whether Son Heung-min will return."
Meanwhile, the missing piece for Son Heung-min, who left Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015 to don the Tottenham uniform, is "a title."
He has played for Tottenham for over nine seasons, appearing in more than 400 official matches and scoring over 160 goals. He became the first Asian player to reach 100 career goals in the EPL.
Son Heung-min scored 23 goals in the 2021-2022 season, sharing the top scorer title with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. It marked the first time an Asian player became the EPL top scorer. He has also scored over 20 goals in the UEFA Champions League, leading Tottenham to the Champions League final in the 2018-2019 season, but they had to settle for second place.
Son Heung-min boasts a remarkable collection of individual accolades. He won the 2020 FIFA Puskas Award for a solo dribble goal from 70 meters against Burnley in 2019. He has received numerous honors, including AFC International Player of the Year, PFA Team of the Year, and London Football Awards. In 2022, he ranked 11th in the Ballon d'Or voting.
Now he is just one step away from obtaining the "championship trophy." It remains to be seen whether he will contribute to the victory by stepping onto the field.
[Photo] Son Heung-min / Son Heung-min, Tottenham social media account / ©Gettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
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