Son Heung-min (L) of South Korea breaks through during a friendly against Egypt in Seoul, South Korea, June 14, 2022. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
South Korea's superstar Son Heung-min is fully fit and will wear a mask in his team's opening match against Uruguay at World Cup.
DOHA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- South Korea head coach Paulo Bento said the country's super striker Son Heung-min had to wear a protective mask in the World Cup game but the whole team was ready to support him to shine on the pitch.
The biggest concern before the South Korean's opening match against Uruguay is the fitness of Son who suffered a fracture around his left eye during a Champions League this month.
"Son can play. He will be able to play," Bento said.
"Of course wearing a mask is not convenient for him, but I believe he can overcome it," he said. "We have stuck to the plan since we arrived here, and we are going to integrate him into a group to show that it has been natural."
According to Bento, he and the whole team were doing everything to ensure Son's fitness during the entire tournament. "We will use the best strategy so he can feel at ease during the game," he said.
The 30-year-old Tottenham Spurs forward is the country's joint-leading World Cup goal-scorer, having scored three times. And he is aiming to become the second player from South Korea to score at three separate editions of the tournament after his compatriot Park Ji-sung.
Midfielder Jung Woo-young, who played for Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd, praised the organization of the host in the same press conference and told reporters they found a key to winning the duel.
"Set pieces are very important to determine the outcome of the match," he said, adding that they seemed direct free kicks as the biggest weapons for them to beat the South American powerhouse.
"We have excellent kickers in our team. That will be a big advantage for us," he concluded.
The match is set to take place at the Education City Stadium, with the game kicking off at 4 p.m. local time on Thursday.
South Korea and Uruguay are joined in Group H by Portugal and Ghana. ■
