Son Heung-min leaves Marseille game early with injured face

Tottenham's Son Heung-min leaves the field injured during a Champions League Group D match against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, France on Tuesday. [AP/YONHAP]

Son Heung-min left the pitch at Stade de Marseille in France early on Tuesday with an injury to his face after colliding with an opposing defender, potentially dealing a huge blow to the Korean national team with just three weeks to go before the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Son was taken off in the 29th minute of a UEFA Champions League clash with Marseille after Chancel Mbemba shoulder connected with his face near the halfway line. Son's face appeared to be heavily swollen and he was helped off the pitch by medical staff.

Tottenham went on to beat Marseille 2-1 to top Group D and earn a spot in the Champions League knockout stage early next year.

But for Korea the injury could be severely damaging. Injuries to the face are unpredictable and the nature of Son’s injury is still unknown, but as the talismanic Korean captain, anything that takes him off his game in Qatar could be a disaster for the national team.

The World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20, with Korea set to play their first game against Uruguay on Nov. 24. Tottenham have three games scheduled before then; against Liverpool on Sunday, Nottingham Forest on Nov. 9 and Leeds on Nov. 12.

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