Hent announced through the club’s website on the 18th (Korean time), “Hong Hyun-seok was called up to the South Korean national team, but was injured and released. He was scheduled to play against Singapore and China, but returned to Hent due to injury. We will examine the nature and severity of the injury.”
Hong Hyun-seok’s role with Ghent is important. The Hyundai homegrown talent joined LASK from SpVgg Unterhaching and FC Unions OO, and his good form earned him a spot in Belgian giants Gent. He became a mainstay in the team, impressing in the Belgian league and UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL). His similarities to Park Ji-sung and Lee Jae-sung have made him a favorite for the next national team.레모나토토 도메인
His record shows that he has a solid place in Gent. In the 2022-23 season, Hong appeared in 37 games in the Belgian league (including the playoffs), scoring six goals and providing six assists. That’s over 3,000 minutes of playing time. In 12 UECL games, he had one goal and three assists. This season, he has two goals and two assists in nine league games. In eight UECL games (including the playoffs), he has one goal and two assists.
He caught the eye of head coach Jürgen Klinsmann and was called up to the A team. Hong’s prolific play and versatility also made him a household name in Korea. After catching the eye of Klinsmann, Hong made the final roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games under Hwang Sun-hong. He played well in the midfield and helped South Korea win the gold medal. With a military exemption, Hong was also called up for the November A match.
“I’ve only watched the World Cup final qualifiers, secondary qualifiers, etc. on TV, but it’s different to have the opportunity to play in person this time. It’s more important than the trials, and each mistake will have a direct impact on the victory and the result, so I think I’ll have to focus a little more. (The long flight) isn’t too hard. It’s a little tiring, but I think my older brothers like (Son) Heung-min and (Kim) Min-jae feel great. I’m still young, so I think it’s okay (laughs),” he said, revealing his ambitions.
After the interview, Hong Hyun-seok experienced some minor discomfort in training, which didn’t seem to be a big deal as he was able to participate in team training, but his condition was worse than expected. Eventually, the injury was confirmed and Hong Hyun-seok left the team. On the 16th, the Korea Football Association announced the news about the replacement of the injured player. “Hong Hyun-seok (KAA Gent) has been excluded due to injury and Park Jin-seop (Jeonbuk Hyundai) has been selected as a substitute,” it said. “Hong Hyun-seok felt discomfort in his left shin area before official training, and after a medical team test and a visit to the hospital, he was diagnosed with a microfracture in his left tibia,” the statement continued.
“It’s not a serious enough injury to be considered playable, but the medical team believes that initial management of a stress fracture is important, so we decided to give him a rest to prevent further injury. He will be released after the Singapore match.” Back in Ghent, Hong Hyun-seok is expected to rehabilitate and check the extent of the injury. Gent will be hoping it’s not a major injury.