London, November 07 (QNA) – Tottenham Hotspur head coach Antonio Conte is “confident” that Son Heung-min will be able to play for South Korea at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Son suffered a fractured eye socket during Spurs’ 2-1 victory against Marseille in the Champions League in midweek, sparking concerns about his availability for the upcoming tournament.
It was then confirmed that Son would undergo surgery on his injury and he missed Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool, with Conte confirming ahead of the match he would not play for Spurs again before the season breaks for the World Cup.
However, Conte had an encouraging update for Son’s availability for the tournament in Qatar as he believes he will represent his nation.
“With Sonny, I sent him a message after the surgery,” he said after the loss to Liverpool.
“Sonny was really, really disappointed with this situation but I hope for him to recover very well and to play in the World Cup because I was a player and I know the importance of the World Cup. I’m confident that he can come back quickly and play in the World Cup. He’s not in hospital now, he’s home,” he added.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 gets underway on Nov. 20, but Son has a further four days recovery before South Korea begin their campaign in Group H against Uruguay. The team will then face Ghana on Nov. 28, and conclude its group matches against Portugal on Dec. 2.
The 30-year-old South Korean captain is one of the most prominent players in Portuguese coach Paulo Bento’s squad, as he scored 35 goals in 106 international matches and won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. (QNA)