Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min had been enjoying a blazing hot start to the season, until Saturday, when he got bit by the injury bug. In today’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, Son left at halftime having suffered a hamstring problem, according to manager Jose Mourinho.
“It’s an injury,” Mourinho said in his post-match press conference (as per the Daily Mirror). “We’ll have him out for a while. It’s his hamstring.”
The injury comes at about as inopportune a time as possible, given how congested their fixture list currently is. (And Mourinho will be the first to tell you that)
Having already played three matches in the past seven days, Spurs will host Chelsea in the League Cup on Tuesday night, and then take on Maccabi Haifa in the third of three Europa League qualifying playoff matches on Thursday night.
Then comes a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday, to take on Manchester United. Son, who scored four goals in the rout over Southampton on Sunday, was almost certain to miss the League Cup London derby, as it is probable Mourinho will field a side of mostly, if not completely, youngsters.
However, they will need him for the more crucial clashes, especially now that he’s gaining confidence, as Mourinho put it. And with summer splash signing Gareth Bale still on the shelf for a little while, Spurs final third will be short-handed. The Son situation handed injury to insult, as Tottenham dropped two points today in very controversial fashion.
Dominating for 90 minutes plus, the north London side had to settle for just a single point when Callum Wilson converted a penalty kick seven minutes into extra time. The spot kick had been set up due to referee Peter Bankes making a controversial handball call, in accordance with the new rule established by the league this season.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.