Korea to play World Cup qualifying match without injured Lee Kang-in

Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in is carried off by a team trainer after suffering a left ankle injury during the team's Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification against Oman at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on March 20. Yonhap

Korea will play their upcoming World Cup qualifying match without injured Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in next week.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo told reporters Saturday that Lee and two other injured players, Paik Seung-ho of Birmingham City and Jung Seung-hyun of Al-Wasl, will not be with the national team when they face Jordan in their Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, south of Seoul.

Lee rolled his left ankle in the second half of Thursday's match against Oman and was carried off on the back of a team trainer. Lee had replaced Paik in the first half, after Paik pulled up lame with a hamstring injury.

Jung sustained a calf injury during a training session before the Oman match.

Before a training session at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, about 40 km south of Seoul, Hong said he will not select replacements for the trio of injured players.

"With Lee Kang-in, tests showed that his injury isn't as serious as we once feared," Hong said. "I just had a talk with him and I was able to reaffirm his commitment to the national team. However, he is just as important to his club as he is to the national team. We decided to drop him and two other injured players from the national team."

A Korea Football Association official said all three players will receive further treatments in Korea before rejoining their clubs after the international break.

Korea are already without Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-jae, who was removed from the national team last Saturday due to left Achilles tendinitis.

Korea settled for a 1-1 draw against Oman but still lead Group B with 15 points from four wins and three draws. With three matches left in the ongoing round, the top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The Taegeuk Warriors have played at every World Cup since 1986. (Yonhap)