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Harry Kane's blockbuster summer switch to Bayern Munich left Heung-min Son as the only talismanic figurehead at Tottenham Hotspur.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou handed the 31-year-old the Spurs captaincy ahead of the 2023/24 season, and the South Korean international has stepped up big time, bouncing back strongly from a down season last time out.
Son has been in scintillating form, scoring 12 goals and assisting five in 20 Premier League games so far as Tottenham look well-placed to fight for a top-four, and Champions League place in the Premier League.
However, they will have to find a way to cope without their club captain as Son will be representing his country at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which will see him miss multiple weeks of club football.
How many games will Heung-min Son miss?
While South Korea's Asian Cup campaign does not kick-off until mid-January, the Taegeuk Warriors are holding a training camp in Abu Dhabi, and will face Iraq in a warm-up friendly on January 6, and Postecoglou has already confirmed that Son will therefore not be available for the FA Cup third-round clash with Burnley.
The extent of Son's absence at Spurs hinges on how far South Korea progresses at the competition. The number of games he will miss could range from a minimum of two games to a maximum of six.
The Tigers of Asia have been placed in Group E of the Asian Cup with Bahrain, Jordan and Malaysia. They will play their first match against Bahrain on January 15, five days before they take on a test akin to Jordan in Doha before rounding off their group-phase campaign against Malaysia on January 25.
That means the South Korea skipper is certain to miss out at least two matches for Tottenham in January, including an intriguing Premier League contest with an out-of-sorts Manchester United on January 14.
Should South Korea progress to the knockout stages of the competition, Spurs will have to make do without Son for even longer.
If South Korea are knocked out at the last 16 stage, Son will remain out for Spurs' potential FA Cup fourth-round tie, and their Premier League clash against Brentford. Similarly, if South Korea are eliminated in the quarter-finals, Son will also miss Spurs’ trip to Goodison Park to take on in-form Everton on February 3.
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| January 5 | Burnley (H) | FA Cup |
| January 14 | Man Utd (A) | Premier League |
| TBC | Potential FA Cup fourth round tie | FA Cup |
| January 31 | Brentford (H) | Premier League |
| February 3 | Everton (A) | Premier League |
| February 10 | Brighton (H) | Premier League |
In the event of South Korea's elimination at the semi-finals, which will be played on February 6 and 7, Son won't have to miss any more Spurs games and would return for Tottenham’s game versus Brighton on 10 February.
Should the Taegeuk Warriors go all the way, Son wouldn't return until after the final on February 10. If this were to be the case, Son will be absent against Brighton and will return for their home clash against Wolves on February 17.