Kim Min-jae misses second straight Korea training, doubt for Uzbekistan friendly
In short
South Korea centre back Kim Min-jae skipped a second consecutive day of team training on October 5, working indoors on his own at the Korea Football Park in Cheonan, Yonhap and Maeil Business reported. Team officials said the Bayern Munich defender was doing recovery work and that fatigue, not a serious injury, appeared to be the reason. He is now expected to sit out South Korea's friendly against Uzbekistan on October 6 at Yongin Mireu Stadium, the last of four matches under interim coach Roberto Moreno.
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Kim Min-jae did not join South Korea's official training session at the Korea Football Park in Cheonan on October 5, training indoors on his own instead, according to Yonhap and Maeil Business. Both outlets reported it was the second consecutive day the Bayern Munich centre back had worked apart from the group, and that he is not expected to play in the friendly against Uzbekistan on October 6 at Yongin Mireu Stadium, the last of four matches under interim coach Roberto Moreno. [ 1 , 2 ]
A team official said Kim had done separate recovery training on both days and that his condition was not a major injury requiring him to be released from the squad, adding that fatigue appeared to have accumulated from the number of matches played. The official was quoted by Yonhap and the comments were repeated by Maeil Business, which cited Yonhap. [ 1 , 2 ]
Kim started all three matches so far under Moreno as a centre back: a 3-0 win over Ecuador on September 24, a 1-4 loss to Uruguay on September 28 and a 0-0 draw with Venezuela on October 2. In the Venezuela match he was substituted in the 35th minute of the second half and was seen speaking with Moreno with an exasperated expression and throwing his boots while sitting on the bench, footage both outlets noted drew attention. [ 1 , 2 ]
After that match Kim said the whole team needed to fight, compete and defend together and that the defenders had been pitiful that day. He added that the team did not feel like it was fighting as a unit and that he would not have been happy even with a 7-0 or 9-0 win. He also said that unity mattered more than individuals and that every player had to work hard to raise the team's level, Yonhap reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
Yonhap reported that Kim had been given leave and rest after the October 2 match and, after the squad reassembled on October 4, had again warmed up separately. The agency said Kim Tae-hyun was put forward as the player for the official press conference and is expected to line up alongside Lee Han-beom in central defence if Kim Min-jae cannot play. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
Kim is a first-choice centre back for the national team, so his absence would remove the most experienced option from a defence already being reshuffled in the final match of the interim coach's four-game run. His earlier public criticism of the team's collective effort, and his visible reaction when substituted against Venezuela, put additional attention on the squad's condition and internal mood. The documents give no indication of consequences beyond this match.
Key facts
- Kim Min-jae did not take part in South Korea's official training in Cheonan on October 5 and instead trained indoors on his own, a second straight day apart from the group. [ 1 , 2 ]
- A team official said Kim had done separate recovery training for two days and that his condition was not a major injury serious enough to release him from the squad, adding that fatigue from many matches appeared to have built up. [ 1 , 2 ]
- South Korea play Uzbekistan on October 6 at 8 p.m. at Yongin Mireu Stadium, the final match of four under interim coach Roberto Moreno. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim started all three previous matches under Moreno as a centre back: a 3-0 win over Ecuador on September 24, a 1-4 loss to Uruguay on September 28 and a 0-0 draw with Venezuela on October 2. [ 1 , 2 ]
- In the Venezuela match Kim was substituted in the 35th minute of the second half and was seen talking to Moreno with an exasperated expression and throwing his boots on the bench. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim said after that match that the whole team had to fight, compete and defend together, that the defenders were pitiful that day, and that he would not have felt good even if the team had won 7-0 or 9-0. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yonhap reported that Kim Tae-hyun was put forward as the player for the official press conference and is expected to partner Lee Han-beom in central defence if Kim Min-jae cannot play. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Min-jae missed team training on October 5 and trained separately indoors, following the same pattern the previous day. [ 1 , 2 ]
- He is not expected to feature in the Uzbekistan friendly. [ 1 , 2 ]
- South Korea face Uzbekistan on October 6 at 8 p.m. at Yongin Mireu Stadium in the last of four matches under interim coach Roberto Moreno. [ 1 , 2 ]
- A team official said there was no injury serious enough to remove him from the squad and attributed the situation to accumulated fatigue. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim started all three of Moreno's matches so far as a centre back, including the 0-0 draw with Venezuela on October 2. [ 1 , 2 ]
- After the Venezuela match Kim publicly said the defenders were pitiful and that the team did not look like it was fighting together. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Kim Min-jae will definitively miss the Uzbekistan match. Both outlets said only that he is expected not to play, based on his training absence; no squad decision was reported.
- The exact nature or severity of Kim's condition. The only account is a team official's remark, carried by Yonhap and repeated by Maeil Business, that it is not a serious injury and appears to be fatigue; no medical detail was given.
- Whether Kim Tae-hyun will start alongside Lee Han-beom in central defence. Stated as an expectation by Yonhap alone; the other document does not mention the replacement pairing.
- Whether Kim's comments and his reaction when substituted were connected to his absence from training. Both documents report the comments and the substitution episode alongside the training news but neither states a link.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Kim Min-jae missed a second straight day of team training and is likely to sit out the Uzbekistan match. [ 1 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its report on the same training absence, citing Yonhap for the team official's comments. [ 2 ]
- Scheduled kick-off of South Korea's friendly against Uzbekistan at Yongin Mireu Stadium on October 6, the last match of the four-game run under interim coach Roberto Moreno. [ 1 , 2 ]