Tottenham Hotspur’s derby defeat against Chelsea has another bitter revelation; key forward Son Heung-min has a calf injury.
Son is a vital source of goals, but Antonio Conte revealed in a press conference that the forward will not be available until the international break at the end of the month.
Son Heung-min Calf Injury: Tottenham Hotspur Will Miss Talisman
Spurs Silverware Hopes at Risk With Son Heung-min Calf Injury
Antonio Conte revealed that Son’s injury didn’t crop up until the recovery period after the Chelsea clash.
He said: “The day after, Son felt a bit of pain in his muscle, in his leg and he had a scan. Now we have to make the right evaluations from the doctors.
“He’s an injury. I don’t know but probably they could stay without training session until the end of this cycle, before the international break.”
It is still early days, Son could potentially return earlier. But he will certainly miss the upcoming fixtures. It is unclear as to whether Son would have started against Morecambe in the FA Cup, but the club will undoubtedly miss him in the league.
Son has scored or assisted at least one goal since the Leeds United game in November. Spurs will need him more than ever, with the challenge of overcoming the 2-0 deficit against Chelsea in the League Cup, as well as facing Arsenal, Leicester City and then Chelsea again at the end of the month.
Son Under the Weather
Even when Son isn’t playing at top gear, he is still contributing in the way of goals and assists. That said, he does feel as if he is holding back lately. It’s unlikely that his current calf injury was plaguing him before. But, he has previously played on through a match with a broken arm and still had a goal by the end of it.
Son is relied on by club and country, and he will no doubt be trying his hardest to recover in time to support South Korea. The seven-time Asian Footballer of the Year would be sorely missed by his fans in his home country too.
The injury does force Son to take a break. Spurs have already had some form of a break with the multiple postponements due to COVID. But, they face a congested schedule. It will potentially put more strain on the likes of Harry Kane and Lucas Moura, but Son could still be ready to come back in early February with the determination to get back on the pitch and amongst the goals again.
Injuries always provide an opportunity for the backup players to shine. Steven Bergwijn has already perked up since the arrival of Conte, with his brilliant goal and assist against West Ham United. He is likely to feature in Son’s absence. Bryan Gil produced the magic Spurs were missing against Chelsea, and he may get more chances on the pitch to conjure up something special.
Tottenham must respect Morecambe and put out a team that gets the job done. But with a relatively strong starting eleven, Son’s absence means more space on the bench for youngsters like Dane Scarlett and Dilan Markanday. Scarlett has already featured a handful of times and would be the most likely to enter play as the game progresses.
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