Medical Clouds for 'Pilot' South Korean Boss
South Korean coach Uli Stielike Friday said he was beset by medical problems which are badly hampering his preparations for their final Group A game against high-flying Australia.
Stielike, who had to make seven changes for the 1-0 win over Kuwait through injuries and a flu bug, said he would have to consult medical staff before making his final selection.
Both teams are already qualified for the quarter-finals but Saturday's match in Brisbane will decide which finishes top of Group A.
"I've waited every day for the past five days for the medical reports," Stielike said.
"It's like a pilot who is flying in the afternoon looking for the weather forecast -- every morning I'm sitting with our medical department.
"This makes it very difficult to prepare for our next game."
Bayer Leverkusen forward Son Heung-Min and Koo Ja-Cheol are both back in training after recovering from illness, while Kim Chang-Soo looks to have recovered from a knock.
Goalkeeper Kim Jin-Hyeon also sat out the Kuwait game with illness and Lee Chung-Yong is out of the tournament with a hairline fracture.
"For Saturday’s game, I’m sitting here now with a lot of doubts and waiting for the afternoon training," Stielike said.
"On Thursday, it was the first time for five days that (Koo) Ja-Cheol and (Son) Heung-Min and (Kim) Chang-Soo did the first training session, so we have to wait as the players consult the doctor, because we cannot take any risk looking at the quarter-final."
He added: "If you look at the details, the statistics, Australia is the best team in the ratings of passes, of challenges, of tackling, of headers, of a lot of things," he said.
"But also, the tournament after this game tomorrow will come into another phase and we will have to look at what happens from the quarter-finals."
Source: Agence France Presse
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