Willson O’Dober has been put on the operating table due to a hamstring injury. We don’t even know when he will return.
Tottenham Hotspur announced on the club’s official website on the 17th (Korea time) that Odover had surgery. The club announced, “We were able to confirm that Odover had surgery on his right thigh muscle yesterday (November 16). The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by the team’s medical staff to decide when he will return to training.”
O’Doubert, who played for Burnley, joined Tottenham Hotspur through a transfer window last summer. A former Paris Saint-Germain youth player, O’Doubert is now just 19 years old and has gained professional experience at TruaAC and Burnley.
The recruitment of Odobert was like a signal of a generational change that Tottenham launched. Playing as a left-side striker, Odobert was considered a long-term replacement for Son, who is strong in one-on-one situations with explosive speed and excellent dribbling ability, and who also abides by shooting ability based on ankle strength.
Like Son Heung-min, Odobert is also a player who enjoys playing with the ball and tries to shoot inside rather than staying on the left side, so there was an expectation that Odobert could replace Son Heung-min in the long run.
However, O’Doubert is having a difficult first season, contrary to expectations. Since joining Tottenham, O’Doubert has only played in five games in all competitions. The playing time is not long either. These are the games where O’Doubert stayed the longest in the stadium against Everton in August and Newcastle United in September when he played 74 minutes.
O’Doubert played as a substitute in the Premier League match against Arsenal and played for 22 minutes, while playing for only 18 minutes in the Carabao Cup (League Cup) showdown with Coventry City. In the UEFA Europa League match against AZ Alkmaar, O’Doubert was deployed at 42 minutes in the second half.
Even though Son Heung-min, Tottenham’s main left-side striker, has not been able to play many games due to injuries, O’Dober cannot go ahead in the main competition because of his performance and injury. O’Dober lacks competitiveness compared to Timo Werner and has not been as explosive as Mikey Moore, who is two years younger than him.
In addition, things have become tougher since he came to Tottenham after suffering a hamstring injury. O’Doubert started as a right-sided striker against Coventry City, where manager Anji Postecoglou activated a slight rotation, but he suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted for Brennan Johnson 18 minutes later. It was bad news.
Odobert returned to team training ahead of the match against Alkmaar after rehabilitation for more than a month, and returned as a substitute at the end of the match against Alkmaar, but his injury has reportedly become more serious. In addition to the league, a dark cloud cast over Tottenham’s future, which was expected to win at least one tournament, along with a number of cup competitions.
At first, O’Dober tried to focus on rehabilitation as he did when he was injured in September, but he eventually chose surgery to prevent a recurrence of the injury. Hamstring injuries are likely to recur, so players who often suffer from them often undergo surgery, but it takes a big decision to get on the operating table when the season is not yet halfway around.
However, it is a disappointing result considering the expectations that Odobert received when he joined the team and early in the 비아그라 season.
At that time, soccer media “Football 365” criticized Son Heung-min when he remained silent in the Premier League opener against Leicester City, a promoted team, and insisted that O’Donnell should be used as a starter.
“Does Coach Anji Postecoglou have the courage to boldly exclude Son Heung-min, who is no longer a substitute?” “Son Heung-min surprised us the most. I don’t think his career is on an upward trajectory anymore.”
The media said, “It is true that Son Heung-min has shown tremendous performance at Tottenham, but he is no longer irreplaceable. Son is the perfect choice for Tottenham’s various attacks. However, it should be seen as one of many options now. We are no longer eligible to have a starting position in all games, and there are no questions about this,” claiming that there is no reason for Son to be guaranteed a starting position.