da dobrowin： Tottenham have learned they will be without Son Heung-min for much of January, prompting Ange Postecoglou to recall a starlet from loan.
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Son receives AFC Asia Cup call-upStar could miss six gamesPostecoglou recalls young attackerWHAT HAPPENED?
On Thursday, Tottenham confirmed that Son has been included in South Korea's squad for the AFC Asia Cup next month. With the attacker potentially set to miss up to six Spurs games, Postecoglou has recalled 19-year-old Dane Scarlett from his loan spell at Ipswich.
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Scarlett struggled to make any real impact with the Championship high-fliers, but Spurs boss Postecoglou left open the possibility that he could feature in Son's absence. He said: "[It is] good to get Dane back and obviously the loan didn't work out for him at Ipswich, which is disappointing for him and disappointing for us because the reason we sent him out on loan was to get some game-time, rhythm and develop.
"[It] made sense to bring him back. He is back training with us and becomes available from January 1st again. Then it is up to him. He will stay with us until the rest of the season and we'll see how he trains and what opportunities may or may not come along, so we'll address those situations then."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
If South Korea reach the final of the Asia Cup – scheduled for February 10 – then Son will miss Premier League meetings at home against Brentford and Brighton as well as trips to Manchester United and Everton. He will also miss Spurs' FA Cup third round tie against Burnley, plus a potential fourth round fixture.
Given that Scarlett did not start a single match for Ipswich during his fourth month spell at Portman Road, it's unlikely that he'll replace Son's output of 11 goals and four assists in 18 Premier League outings. However, it is interesting that Spurs have decided not to send the youngster out on loan again.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SON AND SPURS?
Tottenham's form has dipped significantly in recent weeks after a superb start to the season, so Son's absence could not come at a worse time. That said, if Scarlett can help them push back into the top four then Postecoglou will be credited for a masterstoke.