Goyang: South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo on Monday criticized Bayern Munich for their failure to protect the key national team defender Kim Min-jae. South Korea is set to host Oman on Thursday and Jordan on March 25 in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They aim to secure a World Cup spot by winning both matches, but will have to compete without Kim, who is sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hong had initially included Kim in his 28-man squad last Monday but removed him on Saturday due to the injury. Bayern Munich's boss Vincent Kompany stated on Friday that Kim would be unavailable for "the next couple of weeks." During a training session at Goyang Stadium, just northwest of Seoul, Hong emphasized Kim's significance to both South Korea and the German club, noting that Bayern Munich failed to adequately protect him from injury despite persistent pains.
Hong mentioned that warning signs of Kim's injury had been evident since last year, and the national team staff were aware of them. He explained that keeping Kim around for the important matches would contradict their principles of player protection, leading to the decision to rest him. FC Seoul center back Kim Ju-sung was named as Kim Min-jae's replacement. Hong described Kim Ju-sung, a 24-year-old with two caps, as having prior experience with the national team system and being excellent in the K League 1.
Additionally, Hong addressed another injury concern in midfield with Feyenoord's Hwang In-beom. Hwang had recently returned from an undisclosed injury, only to sustain a foot injury during a Dutch league match against FC Twente. Hong noted that Hwang suffered a bruise on the top of his foot and would join the national team on Tuesday. Despite not appearing to be at full capacity, Hwang remains an important player, and discussions on his role this month will be necessary.