football club: PSG’s Lee Kang-in to be sidelined for ‘several weeks’ due to injury

The French football champions Paris Saint-Germain will be without their South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in for “several weeks” due to an injury.

The club announced Friday that Lee will be sidelined after sustaining a left thigh injury during the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar against CR Flamengo.

Lee got the start in the match held Wednesday but was subbed out in the 35th minute after picking up his injury. Minutes earlier, Lee had gotten tangled up with Gonzalo Plata and fallen awkwardly. He limped off the field with the help of a team trainer.

With Lee being a key part of the offense for the national team, his extended absence is a concern for South Korea in the leadup to the FIFA World Cup kicking off in June.

On Friday, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said he will remain in touch with European clubs about managing the workloads of their South Korean players, adding that avoiding injuries this close to the World Cup is crucial.

South Korea’s next set of matches will come in Europe during the March 23-31 FIFA international window. The Taegeuk Warriors will take on Austria and are trying to schedule another match that month.