(World Cup) Son Heung-min wears protective mask in 1st training session in Doha

DOHA, Nov. 16 (Yonhap) — Recovering from a facial injury, South Korea captain Son Heung-min donned a protective mask during his first training session with the national team in Qatar on Wednesday.

Son arrived in Doha in the early hours of Wednesday, becoming the last South Korean on the 26-man team to land in Qatar for the World Cup.

Son underwent surgery on multiple fractures around his left eye on Nov. 4, three days after colliding with an opposing player during a UEFA Champions League match.

Then five days later, Son took to social media to announce his willingness to play wearing a protective mask if that’s what it takes to represent the country at the World Cup.

And Son sported a black mask, with his number “7” written in white on the left, for his first session at Al Egla Training Facility in Doha.

South Korea’s first Group H match is against Uruguay on Nov. 24.

Son is one of three South Koreans who have been named to the third straight World Cup squad, joined by goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and defender Kim Young-gwon.

Son, the reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner, will bid to become just the second South Korean to score in three consecutive World Cups, after Park Ji-sung did so in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

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