Son Heung-min declares himself fit for World Cup after injury

Following his left eye socket fracture and surgery, Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min revealed he will be fit enough to represent South Korea in the Qatar World Cup later this month.

Son, 30, sustained an eye injury during the Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League match against Olympique de Marseille last week.

The soccer star collided with Marseille defender Chancel Mbema during the match. Soon after the incident, Mbema was reportedly blamed and targeted with racist abuse online for injuring the South Korean athlete.

On Friday, Son had surgery, and club manager Antonio Conte said over the weekend that Son is expected to be fit enough to play during the Qatar World Cup, which starts on Nov. 20.

In an update on Instagram, Son thanked his fans for sending him messages of support while he was injured, saying, “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,” Son continued. “I won’t miss this for the world. I can’t wait to represent our beautiful country, see you soon.”

Son, who became the highest-ranked Asian player in men’s Ballon d’Or history in October, will play as the captain of the South Korean men’s national football team. South Korea will face Uruguay in Group H of the Qatar World Cup on Nov. 24.

Even though he is now on the road to a full recovery, Son is still expected to miss some of Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming games before the World Cup, including the Premier League match against Leeds on Saturday.

Featured Image via @hm_son7

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