Son leads S.Korea’s World Cup squad for Qatar

AP, Seoul :
In a surprise to no one, Tottenham forward Son Heung-min is headlining South Korea’s squad for the third straight World Cup as coach Paulo Bento places his hopes on his superstar striker who is recovering from a fractured eye socket.
Bento also selected Napoli defender Kim Min-jae and Mallorca attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in but left out speedy Ulsan Hyundai winger Um Won-sang when he named his 26-player roster Saturday for the tournament in Qatar.
Son, who has scored 35 goals in 104 internationals, hasn’t played since Nov. 2 when he sustained a fracture around his left eye following a collision with Marseille’s Chancel Mbemba while playing for Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League.
While recovering from surgery, Son said this week that he expects to play in Qatar with a protective mask, reassuring fans on Instagram that he wouldn’t “miss this for the world.”
But there are concerns whether he would be able to display something close to his top form following the injury-related layoff, after Bento spent years carefully building his offense around Son’s speed, two-footed shooting reflexes and dead-ball accuracy.
At a media conference in Seoul, Bento said it remains unclear when Son would be able to resume training with the national team, saying his condition was being analyzed day-by-day.