Jesse Lingard out for another month in Seoul

Football

Published: 14 Apr. 2024, 12:44

Jesse Lingard out for another month in Seoul

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard, left, dribbles the ball during a K League 1 match against Incheon United at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on March 10. [NEWS1]

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard will miss another month of K League action after undergoing surgery on his knee.

FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong told reporters before a fixture against the Pohang Steelers on Saturday — which the capital side lost 4-2 — that Lingard underwent surgery on his knee a day before and he will need about a month to recover before returning to the pitch.

Lingard exhibited pain on his knee during training in March, forcing him to miss the past four league matches.

The former Manchester United midfielder made a surprising move to FC Seoul in February ahead of the 2024 season, but he has yet to display his best form.

In three league games he played as a substitute, he recorded zero goals and assists with an unimpressive performance.

His performance against Jeju United on March 16 drew harsh criticism from Kim. The manager said the following: “Fame doesn’t win football games. If it did, I would have brought in a famous retired player.”

Although Lingard and Kim have seemed to squash their beef, with the English midfielder saying during training last month that the situation was "part and parcel of football,” Kim has still said Lingard should take a leading role in the team.

If Lingard can recreate the results of his glory days — during which he displayed pace and made tidy crosses that saw him record assists — he could diversify FC Seoul’s attack that has proved to be solid so far this season.

The capital side has scored 10 goals in seven matches, during which they recorded two wins, three draws and three losses to sit in sixth place on the 12-team table as of press time Sunday.

The remainder of the season will see whether Lingard can make enough contributions for the capital side to move up the table in the K League title race.

The last time FC Seoul won the league was in 2016 — the last time the club lifted any kind of silverware from any tournament.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]