Delay in Striker Lee Young-jun Joining Lee Min-sung's Squad; Aiming for Return During Group Stage

The joining of key striker Lee Young-jun, who is expected to play a pivotal role for the under-23 men's national football team as they pursue a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal, has been indefinitely delayed.

According to a national team official, Lee was originally scheduled to join the squad today, a day ahead of their opening group-stage match against Qatar, but he remains in Switzerland.

While the Korea Football Association and his club had initially agreed on him joining today, a team official explained that uncertainties have arisen as the club underwent changes in its leadership, preventing them from giving a definitive answer.

"An association official has made an additional business trip to discuss the matter with the club. For now, we expect him to join just before the second group-stage match against Saudi Arabia on the 22nd," the official stated. "We hope the club will respect the previous agreement and send him over as soon as possible."

Born in 2003 and standing at 193 cm, tall forward Lee Young-jun has been playing for Grasshopper since 2024.

Having scored 3 goals in 5 official matches this season, including 4 league games, he was substituted on in the 9th minute of the second half during their Swiss Super League Round 8 match against Thun on the 13th.

Lee Min-sung, head coach of the Asian Games men's football team, said during a group-stage press conference held at the Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan today, "It would be best if Lee Young-jun joins us quickly, but I don't think we are a strong team if we get shaken just because one player is missing. We are in constant communication with the association, and I expect he will be joining us quickly before long."

Lee Min-sung's squad will play their opening group-stage match against Qatar at the stadium at 7:30 PM on the 15th, followed by their second match against Saudi Arabia on the 22nd.

Following that, the men's football tournament at this Asian Games will proceed with the quarterfinals on the 25th, the semifinals on the 30th, and the medal matches on October 3.

(Photo courtesy of the Korea Football Association, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.