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Son Heung-min's foot injury is not recovering easily.
Tottenham is set to play the second leg of the Europa League (UEL) semifinals at 4 a.m. on the 9th (Korea time) at Aspmira Stadion in Bodo, Norway, 2024-2025 season. Tottenham is very likely to advance to the finals because they won the first round of the semifinals 3-1 at home.
It is true that Tottenham had an advantage because they won 3-1 in the first game. However, we must not let our guard down. This is because the second game will be played at the home of Bodo. As you can see, the main players return from injury and disciplinary action, including the fact that it is an artificial turf stadium. Tottenham will do its best to overcome the defeat in the first leg, but Tottenham's power leakage has increased.
James Maddison, who was injured in the first game against Borda, was out for the season. Madison suffered a knee injury and was unable to play the rest of the season. Ahead of the second game against Bodie, Tottenham manager Enze Postecoglou said Madison's 2024-2025 season is over. Madison is expected to return in August.
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Son Heung-min would have been a little better if he returned to the scene where the vice-captain Madison was injured, but Son Heung-min's recovery from the injury is slow. Tottenham fans expected Son Heung-min to miss the second leg of the semifinal to some extent. This is because Son Heung-min was not seen again this time in the image of the team moving for the Norwegian expedition, which was released on the official SNS.
Postecoglou told a news conference that Son was not able to accompany him on the trip to Norway. In addition, `Son Heung-min was working really hard on his recovery, and his condition is getting better. There is a slight possibility of playing in weekend games, but he has yet to participate in team training. Still, the recovery is showing, so we will watch his condition a little more."
It has already been nearly four weeks since news of Son Heung-min's foot injury was heard. Before the second leg of the UEL quarterfinal against Eintracht Frankfurt, Postecoglou said, `Son has been running with a foot injury for a few weeks and has been able to endure it, but the pain has intensified in recent days. "I tried to train before coming, but I was in a bad condition, so I decided to sit out."
Son Heung-min's return continued to be delayed, although it didn't seem to be a major injury. Postecoglou said, `Son Heung-min has been battling the injury for quite some time. Recently, however, not only has the condition not improved, but it has been getting worse` Son Heung-min said as if he would not be able to come back easily.
Still, there was news that Son Heung-min could return in the first round of the semifinals against Bodhi. After the match against Liverpool, Postecoglou said, `The match will be close,' adding, `Son Heung-min will try hard.' If you're not ready to play in the first game, I think you can play in the second game."
However, Son Heung-min also failed to sit on the bench in the first round of the semifinals. Son Heung-min, who appeared on the field in plain clothes, cheered his Tottenham teammates and celebrated the victory in the first round together. Son Heung-min did not play, but his expression was bright, so he was expected to play in the second game, but even this became impossible.
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It is undeniable that Tottenham is about to advance to the UEL final, but Son Heung-min and Madison's simultaneous absence is clearly a concern. This is because Tottenham's attack becomes very dull when both players are absent at the same time. Considering Tottenham's unstable defense, the possibility of losing a point to Bodo cannot be ruled out, so there may be a moment when a player who will play a role as a troubleshooter in the attack may come.
Son Heung-min will also want to make Tottenham's UEL final, but he has no choice but to focus more on recovery. The remaining Tottenham players should be cheering in England only to bring their tickets to the finals. This is because a golden opportunity has come to win his first career championship.
For now, the best scenario is that Tottenham players advance to the final and then Son Heung-min calmly recovers his performance and starts the UEL final. Tottenham has already adjusted its Premier League (EPL) schedule with Aston Villa amid the assumption that it will advance to the UEL final. The UEL final will be held on the 22nd. Tottenham face the winner of Manchester United and Athletic Clube when they reach the final.
Reporter Kim Dae-sik rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
