South Korea face injury setback during pre-World Cup friendly

South Korea face injury setback during pre-World Cup friendly originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>South Korea is headed into the 2026 FIFA World Cup looking to break through the Round of 16, a phase of the tournament that has troubled them for the last 20 years, with their fourth-place finish in 2002 being their furthest expedition into the latter stages yet.

>Hong Myung-bo’s squad looks to be their best one yet, with the likes of Son Heung-Min, Lee Kang-In, and Hwang Hee-Chan leading the Tigers’ front line, while Kim Min-Jae proves to anchor down their backline. All things were looking up for South Korea, ahead of their pre-World Cup friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, but that would change midway through the match when Myung-bo was forced to pull Cho Yu-min off the pitch.

Cho ruled out for World Cup, replacement already present in training squadWhile there wasn’t much information regarding the Korean defender’s injury status, it appears that more updates have come out, none of which are promising for the Tigers’ squad. According to Kim Young-joon of The Chosun Daily, the Korean defender is being withdrawn from the World Cup squad due to a plantar injury.

>Cho currently plays for Sharjah in the UAE Pro League, having played previously for Daejeon Hana Citizen and Duwon FC in the top two levels of Korean football, the K League 1 and 2, respectively.

>In order to replace Cho in the South Korean squad, Hong has called up Jo Wi-je, who has been a part of the team’s training squad in America, according to Kim.

>“The replacement selected is Jo Wi-je, Jeonbuk, who is currently part of the national team as a training partner,” writes Kim.

>Jo currently plays for Jeonbuk in the top flight of Korean football, recording two interceptions and two won tackles during a campaign that saw his team finish third in the league.

>For now, Hong and his squad will continue their preparations for the global spectacle, with their first match of the tournament coming on June 11, when they’re set to take on Czechia.

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