How many Tottenham games will Heung-min Son miss due to Asian Cup?

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 11 Jan 2024 08:30 GMT
• 4 min read

Harry Kane’s summer move to Bayern Munich left Heung-min Son as the main man at Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea international has stepped up big time.

Ange Postecoglou named the 31-year-old as Spurs captain ahead of the 2023-24 season and that decision has paid off remarkably.

Son has scored 12 goals and provided five assists in just 20 Premier League appearances this campaign as Tottenham look ready to fight for a place in next year’s Champions League.

However, they will have to cope without their talismanic figure for several weeks as Son will be representing his country at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The tournament was originally meant to be held in 2023, but it was postponed until January 2024 with Qatar as the host country.

South Korea’s involvement in the Asian Cup means that Son will miss multiple weeks of club football. The number of Tottenham games that Son will miss will depend on how far South Korea progress in the competition.

When will Heung-min Son be back from the Asian Cup?

The length of Son’s absence will depend entirely on how well South Korea perform in the competition. The minimum number of Tottenham games he will miss is two, while the maximum is six.

Son will first be in action at the Asian Cup when South Korea face Bahrain on Monday, 15 January at 11:30 GMT. South Korea are in Group E, alongside Malaysia, Jordan and Bahrain.

South Korea’s second game of the 2023 Asian Cup is scheduled for Saturday, 20 January (vs Jordan) and their final group stage match takes place on Friday, 25 January (vs Malaysia).

If South Korea are knocked out in the group stages, then Son will miss two Tottenham games and will return for their home match against Brentford on 31 January. Depending on how long it takes for him to return from the tournament, Son could even face Manchester City in the FA Cup on 27 January.

If South Korea progress beyond the group stages then Tottenham will be without Son for an even longer time period.

If South Korea are eliminated at the round of 16 stage, Son will also be absent for Tottenham’s FA Cup fourth-round tie versus City and their Premier League clash against Brentford.

If South Korea are eliminated in the quarter-finals, Son will also miss Spurs’ trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on 3 February.

If South Korea are eliminated in the semi-finals, Son won’t miss any additional matches and should be able to return for Tottenham’s game versus Brighton on 10 February.

If South Korea reach the final, then Son will be absent against Brighton and will return for their clash against Wolves.