With the negative situation continuing, the last hope remains. Tottenham Hotspur's 『Captain" Son Heung-min (33), who has missed the last five consecutive games, is likely to return splendidly at least on the last stage. This is the expectation of a first-tier reporter familiar with Tottenham's news.
Son Heung-min has completely disappeared from the ground recently. He has not played for more than three weeks since the first leg of the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League in 2024-2025 against Frankfurt on April 11 (Korea time). At that time, it was fatal to fall after being hit by Jean Matteo Bahoya's rough tackle.
Son Heung-min, who injured his foot at that time, did not appear in three EPL games (against Wolverhampton, No-Teamham, and Liverpool) and did not play in two Europa League games (the second round of the quarterfinals and the first round of the semifinals). In the first leg of the Europa League semifinals against Borda/Glimt at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 2nd, he only visited the stadium in his usual clothes to cheer for his teammates and celebrate his victory.
 |
| Picture=Tottenham Club's official SNS capture |
|
 |
| Photo=Capture the relay screen |
|
As a result, some people are worried that Son Heung-min will be 'season out' as it is. Tottenham Hotspur News quoted Dr. Rajpal Brar, a U.S. physical therapy expert, as saying on the 2nd that `Tottenham is trying to make Son Heung-min as healthy as possible, but he has not yet returned to training. At this rate, I think it will be difficult to play for at least another week.
If this opinion is correct, Son Heung-min is likely not to be able to appear in the 35th round of the English Premier League (EPL) match against West Ham in the 2024-2025 season on the 4th. In fact, even if his physical condition is normal, this game has little meaning to participate. Tottenham has already been fixed at the bottom of the league, so winning means little.
The problem is that it is unclear whether Son Heung-min will play in the second leg of the semifinal against Bodhi/Glimt on the 9th. Dr. Brar said, `There is a possibility that Tottenham will play Son Heung-min even at the risk of playing in the second leg of the Europa League semifinals.' In other words, it seems that Son Heung-min may not be able to make his normal condition until then.
Therefore, there is growing concern that Son Heung-min may not be able to join the team's strength in the second round of the semifinals as well as in the finals that may occur.
However, there were opinions that dispelled these concerns.
There is an answer to the questions and answers exchanged with a fan through SNS by Paul O'Keefe, a Tottenham reporter and first-tier informant at Give Me Sports in the UK. The fan asked a straightforward question, "'Did Son Heung-min get a season out by any chance?'
But O'Keefe replied 'I think Son Heung-min will be there if Tottenham go to the Europa League final. This predicts that even if he does not make it to the second round of the semifinals at least, he will be able to recover his normal condition and participate in the final match scheduled for May 22.
This is a remark with considerable credibility as it is the prospect of reporter O'Keefe, who has delivered the news of Tottenham in detail. In addition, reporter O'Keefe evaluated Son Heung-min's condition as conservative as possible and predicted his participation in the final. Since there are about 20 days left until the final, Son Heung-min has enough time to overcome his injury and improve his condition.
Tottenham is already likely to go to the finals thanks to a 3-1 victory in the first leg of the semifinals. If you don't lose by more than three points in the second round of away games in the enemy territory, you can win a ticket to the finals. If you lose by two points, you get extra time, and if you don't win there, it's a penalty shootout. If you lose, draw, or win by one point, you're in the finals.
As there is a high possibility of going to the finals, there is a high possibility that coach Enze Postecoglou will not force Son Heung-min to play in the second game. Or, there is a possibility that the game will be replaced for a while in order to coordinate the sense of play in the second half of the game when the victory is solidified. However, given that he has been out for more than three weeks due to injury, he may continue to rest considering the risk of recurrence.
Anyway, the important thing is for Tottenham to lift the Europa League trophy. If Son Heung-min contributes to the win on the spot, he can overcome the nightmare of the past three weeks and end the season with a happy ending. Attention is focusing on whether Son Heung-min will be able to perform a meaningful 'last dance' in the Europa League final.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
