Published : Jan. 12, 2014 - 18:27
Sunderland's Korean midfielder Ki Sung-Yeung celebrates scoring his goal with Sunderland's Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Sunderland at Craven Cottage in London on January 11, 2014. (AFP)
Manager Michael Laudrup of Swansea City, an English Premier League club, has decided not to recall Ki Sung-yeung from his loan to Sunderland back to Swansea, according to foreign media outlets.
“I think I couldn’t bring him back as it wouldn’t help either of us. He is playing there all the time so imagine I take him back and he plays sometimes or sits on the bench and they reach the final -- you can imagine mentally how that would affect the player,” Laudrup was quoted as saying.
Laudrup’s first-team squad has been badly hit with seven of his men injured ahead of the match with Manchester United, in which it lost 2-0. Swansea fans are calling for Ki to come back as the team has now gone seven games without a win this season to date.
Midfielder Ki played center-back when Swansea won the League Cup at Wembley last year but was surprisingly loaned after a falling-out with Laudrup at the end of last season.
By Yoon Ha-youn and news reports