Medical expert: Son could be out twice as long as first feared after Tottenham latest
Tottenham superstar Son Heung-min could be until mid-February – and that would mean he has been absent for twice as long as first feared.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Son has not featured since the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea last month (22 December) after suffering a suspected hamstring injury.
The forward is not yet back in training and has not been called up for South Korea’s current block of World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking in his media conference last Friday (21 January), Antonio Conte revealed: “We will have to wait until after the international break.”
Dinnery suggested the 29-year-old may have missed “four or five” weeks as opposed to initial estimates of “two or three” by the time he returns.
“It was always going to be difficult to see Son return this month,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“The understanding was that it was going to be early February at best.
“The initial timeline was around two or three weeks, but we’re potentially looking at four or five. I think early to mid-February is realistic.
“He responds very well to treatment and he’s a quick healer with every injury, and there haven’t been many.
“He plays so many minutes and does so much travel, so he can cope with it.
“But when he has been out, he has always returned ahead of when those initial timelines suggested. That’s always a good sign.”
Son has registered nine goals and five assists in 25 appearances this term.
Spurs are next in action against Brighton in the FA Cup next Saturday (5 February).
In other news, Gabby Agbonlahor issues two-word verdict on Adama Traore being transformed into a wing-back by Tottenham.