South Korea Coach Undecided on Son Heung-min's Availability for World Cup Qualifier Against Kuwait

Seoul, South Korea - August 11, 2023

South Korea's head coach Paulo Bento has yet to decide if Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min will be available for the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Kuwait.

Son, who is South Korea's captain and all-time leading scorer, has been out of action since suffering a calf injury in Tottenham's 2-0 loss to Manchester United on July 23.

The injury has raised doubts over whether Son will be fit enough to play in the World Cup qualifier, which is scheduled to be played on August 25 in Kuwait City.

Bento said in a press conference on Thursday that he will make a decision on Son's availability after assessing his fitness in training.

"Son is a very important player for us, but we need to be careful not to rush him back too soon," Bento said.

"We will assess his fitness in training and make a decision on whether he is ready to play.

If Son is not available, South Korea will have to find a way to replace their star player. Hwang Ui-jo, who plays for Nottingham Forest, is the most likely candidate to start in Son's place.

South Korea are currently top of Group H in the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup. They have won all three of their matches so far and are in a strong position to qualify for the tournament.

A win against Kuwait would take South Korea a step closer to reaching the World Cup and would also give them a boost of confidence ahead of their next qualifier against Lebanon on August 30.