South Korea is expected to be missing two key attackers when it faces Jordan in the first of its two football friendlies in the Middle East on Friday.
After Bayer Leverkusen winger Son Heung-min was ruled out with right quadriceps fatigue, El Jaish forward Lee Keun-ho joined him in the infirmary with back spasms Thursday.
Lee sat out the team’s final practice at King Abdullah Stadium in the Jordan capital, the venue of the two countries’ contest set to kickoff at 4:30 p.m. Friday, local time, or 11:30 p.m. in Seoul.
“With his back pains, Lee is not in shape to practice properly,” a national team official said, adding that Lee only did some light jogging on the sidelines.
Lee was expected to be South Korea’s main force on offense. He has scored 11 of his 19 international goals against Middle Eastern opponents.
Son, meanwhile, took part in practice for the first time Thursday, but head coach Uli Stielike said he will begin Friday’s match on the bench.
Son recently scored twice in Bayer Leverkusen’s UEFA Champions League group stage match and has netted 10 goals in 17 matches in all club competitions so far this season. (Yonhap)
