On the afternoon of the 24th (local time), the Group H first match between South Korea and Uruguay was held at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage. National team defender Kim Min-jae was injured and in pain while defending against Uruguay's Darwin N??ez. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Kim Min-jae (26, Napoli), the central defender of the South Korean national football team who injured his calf in the first match against Uruguay at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, was unable to participate in training for the second day.
On the 26th (Korean time), Kim Min-jae did not appear at the Al Rayyan training ground in Doha, Qatar, where the Korean team trained. A team official stated, “Kim Min-jae still feels pain and plans to stay at the hotel today for treatment and rest.”
Kim Min-jae played the full time in the Group H first match against Uruguay held on the 24th at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, contributing to the 0-0 draw.
At the 18th minute of the second half, Kim Min-jae slipped while trying to stop Uruguay’s counterattack by Darwin N??ez and injured his right calf.
Immediately after the injury, Kim Min-jae was checked by the medical team and returned to the field. After the match, he said, “It’s my first muscle injury, but it doesn’t seem severe.”
After the Uruguay match, Kim Min-jae did not participate in the team’s recovery training on the 25th and rested at the accommodation.
Coach Paulo Bento said at the press conference after the Uruguay match, “Kim Min-jae played in all matches for his club. As a result, he also got injured,” adding, “It affected his performance. We need to adjust according to the upcoming match schedule.”
The Korean team is scheduled to play their second match against Ghana at 10 p.m. on the 28th at Education City Stadium. With only two days left before the Ghana match, the absence of key defender Kim Min-jae from team training inevitably affects the team’s strength.
Ghana lost 2-3 to the strong team Portugal in the first match, but showed comparable strength and emerged as a threatening opponent. To block the performance of Ghana’s attackers, who have advantages in speed and physique, the defensive role of Kim Min-jae becomes more important, deepening Coach Bento’s concerns.
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