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Son Heung-min has been included in South Korea's squad, which will travel to the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The forward fractured his eye socket in Tottenham Hotspur's recent Champions League victory over Marseille, casting doubt over his participation in the tournament. Son is South Korea's talisman, as he holds the captain's armband and has scored 35 times in 105 caps.
The Asian giants will be competing in their 10th FIFA World Cup and have been drawn in a group alongside Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal. Head coach Paulo Bento has included the Tottenham superstar in his squad. He told reporters upon unveiling his team (as per BBC Sport):
"We don't have that information yet. We are in contact with him, with the Tottenham medical department. We need to wait, we need to analyze day by day his situation."
"We have time to decide and the most important is he recovers as well as possible, he feels comfortable and then we will take the final decision."
Son may have to wear a protective mask if he wants to compete in his third FIFA World Cup, as South Korea aim to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in 12 years. Other notable names in the squad include Napoli's Kim Min-jae and Wolves attacker Hwang Hee-chan.
Son Heung-min confirms he will be fit to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Before the squad was confirmed, Son had already announced on his Instagram page that he would be taking part in Qatar. The forward has been considered one of world football's leading attackers in recent years although his form for Tottenham this term has been a concern.
The winger has scored just five times in 19 appearances, with three of those coming in one game against Leicester City. South Korea fans may be thankful that Son has received a rest in recent days, as he wrote on Instagram:
"Hi everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you all for the messages of support I have received over the last week. I have read so many of them and truly, truly appreciate you all. In a tough time, I received a lot of strength from you!"
"Playing for your country at the World Cup is the dream of so many children growing up, just as it was one of mine too. I won’t miss this for the world. I can’t wait to represent our beautiful country, see you soon."
