Heung-Min Son Says He Is 'Very Sorry' He Has to Leave Tottenham for Asian Cup

Heung-Min Son has apologised for having to leave Tottenham Hotspur in mid-January in order to join up with South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup.

It will be the second time this season that Son has missed a run of club games in order to represent his country after he missed the start of the campaign because of his Asian Games commitments.

The 26-year-old is set to depart after Spurs' Premier League game against Manchester United on January 13 and could subsequently miss fixtures against Fulham, Chelsea, Watford and Newcastle, as well as a possible FA Cup fourth-round match.

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After scoring in Spurs' 3-0 win over Cardiff City on New Year's Day, Son said he hopes to maintain his good form throughout the tournament and when he returns to Spurs, per Sky Sports:

"Of course I feel very sorry because I miss [games] already in September. I feel sorry for my team-mates, the fans and the coaching staff. It's difficult. Sometimes you think it's a bit sad, but it is also important for my country. I hope I can keep my form for the national team and when I come back here again as well."

Son has been arguably Tottenham's best player during the hectic festive period:

He has been crucial as Spurs have won six of their last seven league games to move into second behind Liverpool.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man's absence in the second half of January could be a deciding factor in whether Spurs will be able to maintain a title challenge to the end of the season.

Spurs do not have the squad depth of Liverpool or Manchester City, and losing one of their key attackers at such a crucial stage of the season will be enormously frustrating for them.

It also may cause issues for Son going into February and March.

Per Sky Sports, Son said he came back from the Asian Games very tired and it took time for him to get back up to form again.

That could well happen again following the Asian Cup, potentially leaving Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino with a selection headache beyond the weeks that Son will be away from the squad.