Son Heung-min could be back in action this weekend

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min receives medical attention after sustaining an injury against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in London on Sunday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Tottenham Hotspur may not have to wait too long for Son Heung-min to return to the squad, with media reporting Tuesday that the star striker's hamstring injury is not as bad as first feared.

Son appeared to suffer a hamstring injury during Spurs' North London derby against Arsenal on Sunday, pulling up while on the run in the 18th minute holding his leg. Tottenham quickly sent their medical team onto the pitch and after a brief attempt to walk it off, Son was taken off and headed straight down the tunnel.

Speaking after the game, Spurs' manager Jose Mourinho said he didn't know when Son would be back at full fitness.

"It's muscular," Mourinho said at the time. "Muscular is always not easy. He’s a guy that normally he recovers very very well from any kind of injury. And that’s football."

Mourinho's prediction that Son recovers "very very well" appears to be right, as football.london reported Tuesday that the Korean' star's injury is "not as bad as first feared."

According to sources, football.london reports, Son could be back for the team's game against Newcastle United on April 4, or possibly even for the game against Aston Villa on March 21.

If Son does return for the Villa clash he will have only missed one game, a Europa League Round of 16 clash with Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday. Spurs already have a 2-0 lead on aggregate against Zagreb, so the London club should have a fairly easy time in Croatia.

The Aston Villa and Newcastle games fall on either side of the Premier League's international break, when Son has been included in the Korean squad to face Japan on March 25.

Taeguk Warriors head coach Paulo Bento announced a provisional 24-man roster for the upcoming fixture on Monday, including captain Son's name on the list. At a press conference, Bento said that he provisionally included Son on the list because the extent of his hamstring injury is still unknown.

Even if Son is fit, it is still not yet clear whether Spurs are actually willing to release Son for the game.

Under revised FIFA rules due to the coronavirus pandemic, clubs are not required to release players for international fixtures if players will be required to quarantine for at least five days upon their return. That temporary rule means that even if fit, Spurs could refuse to release Son depending on British quarantine regulations.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]