Son Heung-min made his much-awaited return to action for Tottenham Hotspur in their last-gasp win against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
However, the South Korean star played with fingers on his right hand strapped together, raising questions regarding the cause of the injury. Son’s index and middle finger on his right hand were taped, indicating an impact injury usually caused by awkward contact.
New details have emerged revealing that Son Heung-min’s fingers were dislocated while handling an altercation in South Korea’s camp in the AFC Asian Cup. This is as per reports from Football London (via Sky Sports), who have added the details of how the injury was caused.
Apparently, Son was upset with a few of the team’s youngsters, including PSG’s Kang-in Lee, for avoiding the team dinner. The small group instead chose to spend time playing ping-pong. The skipper believed such events are important for team building and was reportedly upset.
The skipper even tried to reunite the entire group but was met with disrespectful jibes from the young group. This reportedly led to an altercation between the players which led to Son’s injured fingers.
The incident occurred on the eve of South Korea’s semi-final clash against Jordan. The news spread the following day, raising concerns about Son Heung-min’s well-being among Spurs and South Korea supporters.
Kang-in Lee, who was involved in the trouble group, posted a message via his Instagram story conveying his apologies. He mentioned he would be a better person and role model and also mentioned helping his ‘older brothers’, possibly referring to Son. Lee’s statement read:
“Good Afternoon. This is Lee Kang-in. There is an article about me having a dispute with Son Heung-min before the semi-final of the AFC Asian Cup. I am very sorry to disappoint football fans who are always supporting the South Korean team.
“I am so sorry. I should have been in the forefront and obeyed my senior brothers, but I’m sorry that I’m showing a bad side to football fans. I apologize to many of you who are disappointed in me. I am well aware of the interest and expectations football fans have of me.
“From now on, I will try to help my older brothers, in order to become a better player and a better person.”
The injury luckily seems to be manageable and Son has been able to play whilst recovering. Spurs will host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next game in the Premier League on Saturday, February 17.