Tottenham Hotspur skipper Son Heung-min unlikely to be fully fit to face Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has a significant fitness dilemma ahead of this afternoon’s Premier League showdown against Manchester United. Spurs captain Son Heung-min, who played 71 minutes in Tottenham’s 3-0 Europa League victory over Qarabag on Thursday, had to be substituted due to a potential injury. His early departure came shortly after Tottenham’s third goal, scored by Dominic Solanke, which resulted from Son’s initial effort being saved.
After Solanke’s goal, Son was seen lying on the ground in discomfort, prompting physios to rush onto the pitch. Although Son initially wanted to continue, Postecoglou made the decision to replace him with Timo Werner, taking no chances with the South Korean star’s fitness.
Son’s Fitness Doubt Ahead of Man United
Speaking in a press conference on Friday via ESPN, Postecoglou provided an update on Son’s condition, acknowledging that it was still early to make a definitive call. Postecoglou said:
“Fair to say the boys are fairly tired, the ones who put in a shift. Apart from Sonny, everybody is okay, and Sonny I don’t think is too bad. He wants to train tomorrow, and we’ll see how it goes and make a decision from there.”
With Tottenham’s match against Manchester United being one of the final games of the weekend, Son has had a bit of extra time to recover. However, it remains uncertain whether the Spurs captain will be risked for such a crucial fixture. Postecoglou is expected to wait until the last possible moment to make a decision on Son’s involvement.
Potential Replacements for Son
Should Son be unable to play, Postecoglou has a few options at his disposal. With Wilson Odobert sidelined by injury, Timo Werner appears to be the most natural replacement. The German, who replaced Son during the Qarabag game, has experience in stepping up in high-stakes situations and made his Spurs debut in this very fixture last season, providing an assist in a 2-2 draw against United.
Other potential replacements include Brennan Johnson or Dejan Kulusevski, both of whom could fill the gap left by Son’s absence if necessary. Kulusevski, in particular, has impressed since joining Spurs and could offer a creative outlet on the wing or through the middle.
A graphical hint?
While Son remains a doubt, Tottenham might have hinted at his involvement in the match through their social media posts. Spurs’ official Instagram account promoted the upcoming fixture with a pre-match graphic featuring Son prominently, alongside Pedro Porro, Johnson, and Kulusevski. This has led to speculation that Son could yet play a part in the game if his fitness allows.
After the Manchester United clash, Spurs will continue a busy period of fixtures, traveling to Hungary to face Ferencváros in the Europa League before returning to the Premier League with a match against Brighton ahead of the international break. Whether Son can recover in time for today’s game will be critical to Tottenham’s chances of securing a positive result against a United side eager to bounce back from their own recent struggles.
