S. Korea coach not decided on Sonny's availability in World Cup qualifier vs. Kuwait

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Wednesday he has not yet decided whether captain Son Heung-min will play against Kuwait in the upcoming World Cup qualifying match, with the Tottenham Hotspur talisman coming off a long injury layoff.

South Korea, world No. 22, will face 135th-ranked Kuwait in their fifth Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. The contest kicks off at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City at 5 p.m. Thursday local time, or 11 p.m. the same night in Seoul.

Son has rejoined the national team for this trip after missing the two World Cup qualifiers in October due to a hamstring injury. South Korea beat Jordan and Iraq in succession without Son.

Son, 32, suffered the injury during a UEFA Europa League match on Sept. 26. He returned to action on Oct. 19 in a Premier League tilt against West Ham United and scored a goal to mark his comeback. But he missed the next two Spurs matches due to lingering problems, and made it back on Nov. 3 against Aston Villa.

Son was subbed off in the 56th minute, soon after he had set up a goal, and was visibly upset with the decision by head coach Ange Postecoglou, who later explained that the plan all along had been to keep Son's minutes under 60.

Son played only the first half of Tottenham's 3-2 loss to Galatasaray in the Europa League last Thursday and played a full match for the first time since his return against Ipswich Town on Sunday.

At his prematch press conference Tuesday, Hong said he was not yet ready to commit to Son for the Kuwait match, though the player himself reported no health-related problems upon joining the national team.

"He reported to camp here a day later than others and he focused on recovery during yesterday's session," Hong said. "After today's training session, I will sit down and speak to him about tomorrow's match. I can't comment on his availability at this moment. I will make that decision after the session today."

Hong said he wasn't concerned about the fact that Son had just played a full 90 minutes on the weekend.

"He said he wasn't experiencing any physical problems, and I am sure his club played him for the full match knowing his physical condition," Hong added. "We'll consider different elements for our team and get him ready to play as necessary.

Midfielder Hwang In-beom, accompanying Hong to the presser, said it makes a world of difference for the national team when Son is around.

"It's obviously reassuring to have our captain here, someone who plays for such a prestigious club," said Hwang, who plays for Crvena zvezda in Serbia. "He's not getting any younger and there will be moments when he will have to take some time to recover. Then it's up to the rest of us to step up and make sure his absence is not seriously felt. I think we did a great job of that in October."

South Korea are at the top of the group table with 10 points from three wins and a draw and they have scored eight goals and conceded three.

Since starting the third round with a goalless draw against Palestine on Sept. 5, South Korea have won three consecutive matches, beating Oman, Jordan and Iraq in succession.

Another victory will push South Korea closer to their 11th consecutive World Cup appearance. The Taegeuk Warriors have played at every World Cup since 1986 in Mexico.

The top two teams from each of the three groups in this round will grab direct tickets to the World Cup, while teams finishing in third and fourth will move on to the fourth round.

The Kuwait match will be the first of two away games for South Korea this month. They will face Palestine next Tuesday in Amman as a neutral venue, with Palestine being forced to play home matches elsewhere until further notice due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

"Away matches are always difficult and we haven't had much time to prepare," Hong said. "The real key for us is to stay focused and approach these matches with a strong mindset. Our players have been in good form and they have to really bear down for the next two matches." (Yonhap)