16 Days Towards Qatar's 2022 World Cup: South Korea Hopes Son Heung-min Recovered On Time

South Korean national team player, Son Heung-min. (Photo: Twitter/@theKFA)

JAKARTA The South Korean Football Association (KFA) is optimistic that Son Heung-min will soon recover from injury and be able to appear in the opening match of Group H of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In the inaugural match, South Korea will face Uruguay on November 24.

The Tottenham Hotspur player is doubtful to feature at the Qatar World Cup this month due to a fracture around his left eye. Despite recovering on time or not, one of the big names in Asian sport will still be brought to Qatar.

"We hope he will recover on time but we are waiting for clarity on that. We think Son will go to the World Cup, it's just a question of whether he plays or how much he can play," a KFA official told The Associated Press, reported Friday, November 4.

Son picked up an injury after colliding with defender Chancel Mbemba while playing Spurs against Marseille in the European Champions League, Wednesday, this week. The injury forced him to undergo surgery.

Tottenham on Wednesday announced plans for the operation. However, there is no definite time frame for its recovery.

"Everyone is worried about [the conditions of] Heung-min. All we can do here is follow the news from afar. We all pray that Heung-min recovers quickly," said Son teammate Kwon Chang-hoon.

Previously, professor Hong Jong Won of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Yonsei University Severance Hospital in Seoul told Yonhap News Agency Son may need at least four weeks to recover.

Currently, Korean media is covering Son's injuries extensively, including publishing facial bone structure diagrams. The reports were made amid many fans in the country discussing Son's chances of returning.

Son won the Premier League Golden Boot last season after being the top scorer for a season at the top of English football. He is also the country's leading striker with a total collection of 35 goals so far.