Bae Junho is hoping to be in contention for South Korea’s World Cup opening game as he steps up training following an ankle injury.
The Stoke City playmaker limped out of the final friendly before the tournament, against Trinidad and Tobago, after finding himself on the receiving end of a poor challenge.
He was sent for a thorough medical check-up and physios were relieved he had avoided serious injury, giving him the green light to stay in the squad. He has been training alone with the medical staff this week in Mexico and was spotted doing running drills yesterday as he increases his workload.
South Korea are in Group A and will play on the opening day of the World Cup, Thursday – Mexico time, against Czechia. It is a 3am Friday morning kick-off for anyone watching in the UK.
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The timings are not great for Europe-based Stoke supporters hoping to watch the forward in action on the biggest stage. The second game, against hosts Mexico, kicks off at 2am on Friday June 19 and the third group game, against South Africa, is at 2am on Thursday, June 25.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo helped South Korea to the semi-finals back in 2002 and is hoping his side can embrace the experience this time around.
He said: “The World Cup is the dream for any player. Most footballers start playing because they love the game. As they develop, the usual target is to represent their country and, once they manage that, their focus turns towards making the World Cup. The World Cup is every footballer’s dream.
“These days, many of our players are competing in Europe, and I think that has removed any fear they might once have had of the world stage. It’s very different from when I was a player. If our players continue to grow in confidence and build trust in one another, I believe we can be one of the top teams rather than a side just capable of producing the occasional upset.”
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