Midfielder Koo out of action for October friendly matches

Korean midfielder Koo Ja-cheol has been dropped from the national team roster for the upcoming friendly matches because of a severe kidney infection, the national football governing body said Saturday.

The Korea Football Association said Koo will not represent Korea in friendly matches against Uruguay and Panama after he was diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis. The FC Augsburg midfielder is also expected to miss some German Bundesliga matches.

Koo, who has 19 goals in 70 matches with the national team, was set to make his first appearance since Paulo Bento took the team’s helm in August. He didn’t play in Korea’s friendly matches against Costa Rica and Chile last month.

The KFA said the Pohang Steelers attacker Kim Seung-dae will replace Koo.

Bento called up 25 players for the October friendly matches at home. The Taeguk Warriors will host Uruguay in Seoul on Friday and face Panama in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on Oct. 16.

Yonhap