There was no sign of Jung Woo-young (26, Union Berlin). The team's training to prepare for the new season has begun, but he is still not in Germany. This is due to his military service obligation.
The German soccer media outlet Kicker reported on the 8th (Korea time) that "Union Berlin has started serious preparations for the new season, but Jung Woo-young has not yet joined the team."
Union will start full team training from Wednesday the 10th local time. Practical preparations already began on the 8th. Starting from 8 a.m. that day, the players divided into two groups conducted obligation and physical tests in different locations in Berlin. On the 9th, the two groups are expected to complete the examinations by switching locations.
The physical tests held on the field also included newly recruited players this summer. Liban Burjou (returned from Magdeburg loan), Oliver Burke (Bremen), Ilyas Ansa (Paderborn), Andrik Markgraf (from youth), and returning loanee Paul Yekel (Braunschweig), Alex Kral (aespa), and Yannick Stein (Babelsberg) all participated in intense running training known as the famous summer training routine.
Jung Woo-young was not present at this event. Kicker reported, "As a result of inquiring with the club, Jung Woo-young has not yet arrived in Berlin," adding, "Having fully transferred from Stuttgart, he is currently fulfilling his military service obligation in Korea. He is expected to join the team in a few days."
The military service obligation mentioned in the article reported by Kicker refers to basic military training. Jung Woo-young earned a military service exemption after his remarkable performance in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where he won a gold medal.
Jung Woo-young faced difficulties last season. He struggled to establish himself in the team during the first half and was sidelined for the entire season after suffering an injury to his left ankle just when he began to gain momentum in the second half. Reports suggested that a complete transfer to Union would be difficult, but Union showed confidence by fully acquiring Jung Woo-young.
Once again, Jung Woo-young is likely to experience a challenging time. After undergoing military training, some players have shown that they need time to improve their condition.
Meanwhile, according to Kicker's report, several players, including Jung Woo-young, did not appear in training that day. Kicker noted, "Goalkeeper Lennart Grill spent last season on loan at Braunschweig and Fürth, but he is already excluded from Union's plans. Currently, Union has Frederik Rönno, Stein, and Karl Klaus as its main competition goalkeepers. According to German media, Grill is expected to transfer to the emerging power Dynamo Dresden in the second division."
Union will play two practice matches against teams from the Brandenburg region this weekend.
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