SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- South Korea on Tuesday confirmed that their left back Park Joo-ho will not be able to play the rest of the team's 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign due to hamstring injury.

A national team official said Park went to a hospital in Saint Petersburg and his medical checkup result showed that the 31-year-old will not be available to compete for South Korea's two remaining matches in Group F.

"Park's injury wasn't severe as we originally thought as he only had a small damage on his right hamstring," the official said.

"However, he still needs three weeks of recovery, meaning he'll not be able to play in South Korea's next two matches."


Park started as a left back in South Korea's 1-0 loss against Sweden at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, some 425 kilometers east of Moscow, on Monday. He, however, was taken off the pitch just after 28 minutes. The former Borussia Dortmund and Mainz defender tried to control a stray pass from Jang Hyun-soo with a header but later fell on the ground, holding his right thigh.

He was then replaced by Kim Min-woo and was taken off the field on a stretcher.

Even though Park will not be able to play any matches, the official said the Ulsan Hyundai player will stay with the team until the end of the tournament. South Korea are scheduled to play against Mexico in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday and face Germany in Kazan on Wednesday.

For Park, Russia 2018 will be another disappointing World Cup in his career. Four years ago, he was on South Korea's final roster for the World Cup in Brazil, but failed to play in a single match. (Yonhap)