Bundesliga player ruled out for S. Korean friendly vs. Japan due to quarantine rules

▲ In this EPA file photo from March 10, 2021, Hwang Hee-chan of RB Leipzig (R) fights for the ball with Nathaniel Phillips of Liverpool during the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Puskas Ferenc Arena in Budapest, Hungary. (Yonhap)

▲ In this Associated Press photo, Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur (R) receives medical attention after pulling up with a hamstring injury during a Premier League match against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in London on March 14, 2021. (Yonhap)

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Bundesliga player ruled out for S. Korean friendly vs. Japan due to quarantine rules

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- Local quarantine rules in Germany will keep Bundesliga forward Hwang Hee-chan off the South Korean national team in an upcoming friendly match against Japan.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Wednesday that Hwang, who plays for RB Leipzig in the top German league, will not be released for the match on March 25 in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo.

Hwang was named to the 24-man roster by head coach Paulo Bento on Monday. But his final status hinged upon RB Leipzig's talks with regional health authorities on exempting Hwang from quarantine upon returning to Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The KFA said the German club failed to secure that exemption. Hwang will not be replaced on the roster.

The biggest question mark for Bento remains Son Heung-min, the Tottenham Hotspur star who suffered a left hamstring injury in London on Sunday, merely hours before the coach announced the national team roster.

The KFA has been in touch with Tottenham regarding Son's health, and it expects to receive the final word by Friday or Saturday.

A KFA official denied a London report that Son was expected to play in a Premier League match against Aston Villa on Sunday, saying it's not yet clear exactly when Son will be available.

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