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Now that Chung-Yong Lee is back on the field for Bolton Wanderers (and providing quality while doing so), he can get his international career back on track. Reports today out of Seoul, South Korea say that according to sources, head coach Choi Kang-Hee will bring Chungy back into the side for the South Korea's third World Cup Qualifying match. South Korea will take on Uzbekistan on September 11.
Chungy has made 40 appearances for the senior South Korean side, scoring five goals in that time. The winger played a role in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as well. As you may all remember, he was injured in Bolton's preseason friendly against Newport County prior to the start of the 2011/2012 season. Back healthy, Chung-Yong Lee played in seven Bolton Wanderers' eight preseason matches and has started in both of the team's league matches.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily:
"Coach Choi Kang-hee will summon Lee Chung-yong in the third preliminary match against Uzbekistan on Sept. 11," a source familiar with the Korea Football Association, told The Ilgan Sports. The KFA plans to send a letter to Bolton soon, the source said.Under FIFA rules, the KFA must summon a player from the club he currently belongs to no later than 15 days before the match it wants him to play. The Choi squad will begin preparing for the Uzbekistan match on Sept. 5.
"Lee Chung-yong is playing full-time with his team, and it is good news for the national team," Choi said. When asked about whether or not Lee would be playing the Uzbekistan match, he said that "it would be possible unless there is some variable."
Lee has missed A-match games for Korea since the tune-up match against Ghana on June 7 of last year. He suffered a serious injury to his right shin during his club's preseason match in July 2011.
Cha Du-ri, a Korean defender playing for Bundes Liga's Fortuna Dusseldorf, said the injury and Lee's ensuing absence from the national team was "a blow to Korean football."