Incheon Manager Yoon Jung-hwan: "Leandro must build his fitness quickly... We will gradually increase his playing time" [On-site in Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Yoon Jung-hwan, manager of professional soccer club Incheon United, expressed high expectations for newly signed foreign striker Leandro while noting that more time will be needed before he can fully contribute.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 23 home match against Kim Cheon (SVP) at Incheon Football-Specific Stadium on the 16th, Manager Yoon said, "First and foremost, he needs to build his fitness quickly."

Previously, Incheon strengthened its wing attack by signing Leandro on the 14th. Leandro has appeared in 157 K League matches across Seoul E-Land, Daejeon Hana Citizen, Jeonnam Dragons, and Seongnam FC, recording 26 goals and 30 assists. However, as administrative procedures for player registration are not yet finalized, he will miss today's match.

Manager Yoon added, "We do have a few players who can play on the left side, but since Leandro has strong ball retention skills and excels in one-on-one dribbling, I think we could also deploy him centrally. However, I heard he rested for just over a month with his previous club. His fitness is likely to be down, so he is preparing diligently. We will gradually increase his playing time."

After taking a break in the previous round due to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) playoff schedule for Gangwon FC, Incheon will play again after a two-week hiatus today.

Manager Yoon stated, "We trained on our usual routines without major changes. We only rested for about four days, so there were no special adjustments to the training."

Regarding Lee Chung-yong, who continues to start regularly despite his age, Manager Yoon said, "As long as his fitness remains stable, he will continue to start. However, it is regrettable that Incheon lacks a player of such quality."

On Seo Jae-min, a key midfielder, Manager Yoon remarked, "He seems to be the type who needs constant pushing. We need to push him even harder when he's performing well. It's a bit pitiful, but he is not the kind of player who complains about difficulties. If given instructions, he follows them without question," he said with a smile.

In response, Joo Seung-jin, manager of Gimcheon, said, "We started (Jeong) Jae-min because he showed good form in the last match and is a different type from Kim Hee-ji. We wanted to maximize his strengths. We also selected Lee Eui-seok for his ability in second-ball contests, his drive forward from the second line, and his shooting power."

Manager Joo added, "Incheon has excellent team balance, and Manager Yoon's tactical management is very strong. We have always found them difficult to handle and struggled to adapt. However, today we aim to take control of the game and be cautious about set pieces, which could lead to a different outcome."

Regarding Hong Yun-sang and Park Se-jin, who were left out of today's starting lineup, Joo explained, "We considered using (Hong) Yun-sang as a substitute joker. For (Park) Se-jin, we felt there were areas where his performance in the Incheon match could be improved. Given that Kim Eui-seok is regaining his fitness, utilizing him would help maintain our energy levels."

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*This content was translated by AI.