Injured forward Hwang Hee-chan cut from football friendly roster

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) — South Korean football forward Hwang Hee-chan was cut from the men’s national team Tuesday with an injury, the sport’s national governing body said.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Hwang, forward for German outfit Hamburg SV, will not join the rest of the Taeguk Warriors in Australia for two friendlies this month because of a thigh injury. Hwang also missed recent club matches.

In this file photo from Oct. 12, 2018, Hwang Hee-chan of South Korea controls the ball in a men’s football friendly match against Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium. (Yonhap)

The KFA also said head coach Paulo Bento will not replace Hwang, who is the second national team player to be sidelined with an injury in as many days. On Monday, right back Kim Moon-hwan was also taken off the roster with a thigh injury and wasn’t replaced.

That brings the number of players on the team down to 24.

South Korea departed for Australia on Monday. They will face Australia on Saturday and then Uzbekistan three days later. Both matches will be held in Brisbane.

South Korea remain undefeated in four matches on Bento’s watch — with victories over Costa Rica and Uruguay and draws with Chile and Panama.

All four of those matches were at home, and South Korea will be playing on the road for the first time since Bento’s arrival in August.