By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Seol Ki-hyeon is trying to keep alive his goal of playing in football's biggest tournament. He is hoping to recover from injury in time to make the South Korea squad.
``The World Cup is important to every football player and I still have hope to compete at the World Cup in South Africa,'' Seol said Monday after the Pohang Steelers faced Adelaide United at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League in Pohang.
But the 31-year-old said that he would not rush his return.
``My strong will to play again just does not guarantee me that I will be able to play at the World Cup. For now, I am trying to recover completely,'' he said.
The former South Korean international, who no longer featured in Fulham FC's plans, joined the K-League side in January after ending his 10-year stint in European leagues in order to play on a regular basis and increase his chances of making the World Cup squad.
However, before even stepping on K-League turf, a sore knee during an overseas training session in Japan in February ruled him out for a month.
To make matters worse, while preparing for his debut in the local league, he was evaluated to have torn cartilage in his left knee after complaining of pain there during practice, which put him on the operating table on March 26.
After the surgery, he started rehabilitating in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, and then moved to Busan, where his family lives.
``I finished with basic therapy and muscular strength training in PyeongChang,'' he said.
"I have been rehabilitating, eyeing my return late this month or early next month.
``Right now, my legs cannot prop up my body fully.''
South Korean football manager Huh Jung-moo plans to pick 23 players for his final roster at around the same point that Seol is scheduled to return.
``I need to show that I can still offer something to the national team before the roster announcement, but it is not a good idea to give poor performances coming off a hurried comeback,'' he said.
``While relaxing, I will focus on shaping up. I trust in fate.''