Lee Kang-in received bad news

Lee Kang-in has an ankle injury.

Yonhap quoted South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo as confirming that Lee Kang-in has suffered an ankle injury. In South Korea's 1-1 draw with Oman on March 20, the 24-year-old provided an excellent assist for Hwang Hee-chan to score.

However, he only played until the 85th minute before being forced off the field due to injury. Lee Kang-in sprained his left ankle in a dispute on the field and will leave the national team to return to PSG for treatment.

Coach Hong Myung-bo said that not only Lee Kang-in, but also Paik Seung-ho of Birmingham City and Jung Seung-hyun of Al Wasl (UAE) will not be able to participate in the upcoming match.

“The test results show that Lee Kang-in’s injury is not as serious as we initially feared. However, he is as important to the club as the national team,” the coach said.

Currently, South Korea leads Group B of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia with 15 points after 7 matches, holding a big advantage to win a direct ticket to the tournament in North America. However, the Korean team still has to be careful in the upcoming matches, because the gap between them and the two opponents right behind, Jordan and Iraq, is now only 3 points.

The top two teams in the group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. Lee Kang-in's absence is a big blow for Hong Myung-bo's team in their crucial clash with Jordan. The Taegeuk Warriors will have one hand on a ticket to the 2026 World Cup if they beat their direct rivals Jordan.