Football
John Duerden, Asia correspondent 5y

Tottenham's Son plays down fatigue fears amid Kane, Alli injury problems

Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min has played down fears that his recent schedule will catch up with him as the games come thick and fast for South Korea at the Asian Cup.

Spurs, third in the Premier League and still competing in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, have been hit by injuries to Harry Kane and Dele Alli as well as Son's departure for the Asian Cup.

Son, who also appeared at the World Cup in June and the Asian Games in Indonesia in August, arrived in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 14, less than 24 hours after appearing against Manchester United in the Premier League.

He played 89 minutes in Korea's final group game two days later against China, a surprising selection as they had already booked a place in the knockout stage and was then made captain against Bahrain on Tuesday, playing 120 minutes in a 2-1 win.

"It's all about mentality, I think," Son told reporters. "If you think you're tired ... of course after the game I feel tired, but still I try to recover as quick as possible and play again."

He added: "In three days I can recover. It's the same when I play with Tottenham as well. I have to recover as quickly as possible and look forward to play."

If Korea win against Qatar on Friday, they will face either Australia or host United Arab Emirates in the semifinal. Should Korea make it to the final on Feb. 1, Son will potentially return for Spurs in the Premier League game against Leicester on Feb. 10.

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