Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has revealed that captain Son Heung-min is racing to prove his fitness ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The 32-year-old was forced off in the 71st minute during Spurs’ 3-0 Europa League win over Qarabag on Thursday night, after suffering a hamstring injury.
Postecoglou initially expressed uncertainty over the severity of the injury but provided an update on Friday, confirming that the South Korean forward is eager to train on Saturday in hopes of being fit for the match against Manchester United.
“Fair to say the boys are fairly tired, the ones who put in a shift. Apart from Sonny, everybody is okay,” Postecoglou said. “Sonny doesn’t seem too bad. He wants to train tomorrow, and we’ll see how it goes before making a decision. We’ve got another day to give him every chance.”
Should Son fail to recover in time, Postecoglou has several alternatives to fill the left-wing position. Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski could take up the role, while Timo Werner, who came on for Son during Thursday’s match, and 17-year-old Mikey Moore are also available for selection.
“Timo and Mikey are certainly in the frame. We also have Kulusevski, who can play wide, so we have options. But first, we’ll see how Sonny is,” Postecoglou added.
Son’s future at Tottenham has been under scrutiny after he revealed earlier this week that no contract renewal talks had taken place. His current deal is set to expire next year, although Spurs hold the option to extend it by an additional year—a clause the club is reportedly planning to activate.
Postecoglou expressed his desire to keep Son at the club, praising the forward’s leadership and performance during his 10th season at Tottenham, following his 2015 move from Bayer Leverkusen.
“I don’t always have the final say, but I’d like to think my input is significant,” Postecoglou said.
“Sonny is performing and leading the club brilliantly, and I definitely want him to stick around for a while.”
