The manager of the South Korean national team expressed criticism towards the German club "Bayern" for inadequate protection of defender Kim Min-jae from injury, as a result of which the player was excluded from the following matches of the qualifying stage of the 2026 World Cup due to a calf strain. Kim will miss the last match of "Bayern" against "Union Berlin" and also won’t be able to help the national team in the upcoming games against Oman and Jordan.
Belgian Vincent Kompany stated last week that Kim will not be on the pitch "in the coming weeks". Before the match, the head coach of the South Korean team, Hong Myung-bo, stated that "Munich did not provide him with adequate protection from injury". He added that "Kim Min-jae is an extremely important player not only for 'Bayern' but also for the national team." "The fact that the match is important does not mean that Kim should be on the pitch," the coach emphasized, adding that they were "fully informed" about the player's frequent injuries.
With winning conditions against Oman on Thursday, and then against Jordan in five days, South Korea can secure a place for participation in next year's World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Since his debut in 2017, Kim has been a key player for the national team and has appeared on the pitch 69 times. After he won the championship as part of "Napoli", Kim joined "Bayern" in the summer of 2023 and played 73 matches in various tournaments.
