S. Korean midfielder misses training sessions ahead of friendly vs. Uruguay

PAJU, South Korea, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) — South Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung missed another training session Thursday, raising questions about whether he will play in an upcoming football friendly match against Uruguay.

South Korea called up Lee, who is with German Bundesliga 2 club Holstein Kiel, for friendly matches against Uruguay and Panama this month. South Korea will host Uruguay in Seoul on Friday before meeting Panama in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, four days later.

A Korea Football Association (KFA) official said Lee decided not to take part in Thursday’s training at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul, after he felt pain in his knee, adding that it’s uncertain at this moment whether the 26-year-old will play against Uruguay. Lee also missed Wednesday’s training at the NFC.

Lee injured his right knee during his club’s training on Oct. 2. However, he played full time in Holstein Kiel’s 2-1 loss to FC Erzgebirge Aue four days later.

Lee, who was named the South Korean league MVP last season after leading Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to the championship, joined the national team on Monday to prepare for national team’s October friendlies.

Lee is a key player for the Taeguk Warriors. He has seven goals in 40 caps and represented South Korea at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

This file photo taken on Sept. 11, 2018, shows South Korea’s Lee Jae-sung (L) dribbling the ball during a friendly match against Chile at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)