The injury of Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) that worried everyone is not serious. He was released from the roster for player protection.

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo (56), will face Jordan in the 8th match of Group B in the 3rd round of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asia qualifiers, held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 25th.

South Korea drew 1-1 against Oman on the 20th, failing to protect Hwang Hee-chan's opening goal. South Korea has 15 points (5 wins, 3 draws) and is currently maintaining a somewhat shaky first place in Group B.

If South Korea had defeated Oman and Jordan, it could have secured a spot in the World Cup early. However, the shock draw against Oman postponed their advancement to the finals.

A greater loss than the draw is the injuries of Lee Kang-in and Baek Seung-ho. In the 38th minute of the first half, Baek Seung-ho was substituted due to a left hamstring injury. Lee Kang-in, who was substituted in, suffered an ankle injury in the 34th minute of the second half.

With Jeong Seung-hyun, who injured his left calf, all three players were ultimately released from the roster on the 22nd. They will receive treatment domestically before returning to their clubs.

Next is a Q&A with coach Hong Myung-bo.

What is the status of the injured Lee Kang-in, Jeong Seung-hyun, and Baek Seung-ho?

After the match against Oman, Baek Seung-ho and Lee Kang-in were injured. Jeong Seung-hyun was injured before that and could not participate in the game. I thought Lee Kang-in's injury would be serious, but yesterday's test showed it is not as bad as expected. I confirmed his attitude and mindset towards joining the national team after today's interview.

However, from our perspective, since they are important players for their clubs, we decided to release these three players from the roster. We will prepare for the match against Jordan with the remaining 25 players. There will be no call-ups for replacements.

What is the new player combination?

Hwang In-beom is back. We are communicating sufficiently with the club. There were times the club wanted. We are discussing those aspects. Since it's been four months since we gathered, our performance hasn't been very good. I will make sure the players' condition is good during the remaining period.

I will prepare for the next match by sharing good and bad moments from the game against Oman. Oman played with a 4-5 defense. Jordan's setup is similar. We will become more organized.

Unlike before, Jordan has brought its strongest squad?

In the last match, the three Jordanian forwards did not play. This time, they say all will be present. They are players with good abilities. We need to organize our defense against their individual talents. We did not find significant issues in the organization of our defenders in the last game. Of course, we conceded a goal, but I will give our players confidence. We will prepare our build-up well.

In the match against Oman, the players were not bold when building up?

Two of the key defenders, who had been regulars, are out. Two new ones have come in. After two days of training, it is not easy to display the old build-up abilities. Nevertheless, we must work harder. The movement up front was not very good in the last match. We will prepare well in the remaining time.

Will new faces get a chance against Jordan?

It is regrettable that I expected to field new players in the plan we had for the last Oman game. However, the sudden injury of Baek Seung-ho and the swift substitution of Lee Kang-in disrupted that plan. The new young players are facing challenges from the time difference and other aspects after coming to Korea from Europe. I am also preparing to field new players whenever possible.

Is it true that the draw against Oman made it impossible to secure a spot in the finals during the two home games?

There is some regret. I and the players also feel it. If we had secured two wins quickly, it would have helped everyone grow a bit more. The current situation is not ideal, but we have two direct confrontations ahead. It is important not to give points to the teams below us. There is no need to rush in desperation. After the match against Jordan, we have a game in June. First, we will finish the match against Jordan well.

[OSEN]