[Official] Lee Min-sung-ho's mega negative factor in 'Worried to Realize' and ace Kang Sang-yoon's 'Injury Call-Off' at U23 Asian Cup

*This content was translated by AI.

Eventually, concerns became a reality. Kang Sang-yoon (22, Jeonbuk Hyundai), the ace of the South Korean national under-23 (U-23) national soccer team, will eventually be canceled due to injury. The first attempt to win the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup in six years is also on alert.

The Korea Football Association announced on the 9th, "As a result of Kang Sang-yoon's diagnosis, the call-up was decided due to damage to the ligament inside the left knee," adding, "The timing and location of the release will be carried out after consultation with the team." Jeonbuk will depart Korea on the 11th and start winter training in Marbeja, Spain.

Earlier, Kang Sang-yoon started against Iran in the first Group C match of the tournament at Al-Shabab Club Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the 7th and was replaced by an injury less than 30 minutes into the first half. After clearing the opponent's ball in a competitive ball situation, he felt pain on his own and sat down.

Afterwards, Kang Sang-yoon left the stadium on a stretcher without being able to walk in person. After a while, he was seen on the broadcast screen heading to the bench on crutches with a protector on his knee, raising concerns about his injury. In the end, concerns have become a reality. Since the competition has already opened, it is impossible to select alternative players.

Anyone who gets injured during the tournament is bad for the national team, but Kang Sang-yoon's departure is inevitable, especially hitting the national team. This is because he is the ace of the U-23 national team. Kang Sang-yoon was a key resource in winning Jeonbuk last season as he was selected as the best 11 midfielder in K League 1. He was also the No. 1 player in the K-League market value (up to 3.5 million euros, about 6 billion won) recently set by the International Football Federation (FIFA)-affiliated National Sports Institute (CIES).

In the U-23 national team, he was also assigned the ace number 10, and started as a two-top player from the first group game and went on the ground. As the second Park Ji-sung and the second Lee Jae-sung modifier said, he shook the opponent's defense with his amount of activity and technical skills and collapsed due to injury. Ace Kang Sang-yoon's presence was more noticeable as the national team's performance sharply declined immediately after the injury.

Jeonbuk clubs and fans can't hide their sorrows. The recovery period should be checked through additional detailed examinations, but if it affects the process of preparing for the next season, the aftermath can continue even until the early part of the season. Kang Sang-yoon, who suffered an unexpected injury, is facing the task of preparing firmly so that his recent rise does not break.

Lee Min-sung will play the second group match against Lebanon at 8:30 p.m. on the 10th (Korea Standard Time). Earlier in the first round, they tied Iran 0-0. The tournament, in which 16 teams participate, will be divided into four groups of four teams, and the first and second place in each group will reach the quarterfinals tournament to determine the winning team. South Korea, which has been eliminated from the quarterfinals for the last two consecutive tournaments, will try to win the title for the first time in six years since the 2020 tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.