South Korean U-20 football team defender out for 6 weeks after collision

By Jo He-rim

Published : March 28, 2017 - 20:31

South Korean national U-20 football team defender Jeong Tae-wook will be out for six weeks due to a small fracture in his neck following a ferocious collision with a Zambian player, the Korea Football Association said Tuesday.

Jeong fell to the ground unconscious during the match against Zambia in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, at a FIFA U-20 World Cup test event on Monday. In the 80th minute, he and Zambian midfielder Kenneth Kalunga collided in the air when vying for the ball.

Jeong Tae-wook (left). (Yonhap)

Jeong, 19, was given immediate artificial respiration by his teammate and was later rushed in an ambulance to a local hospital.

The 195-centimeter tall center back later regained consciousness and underwent medical tests for structural damage.

The KFA said that the tests showed Jeong had a small fracture in his neck and he will have sit out for at least six weeks.

Jeong, who plays with Ajou University football team in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, has played 16 matches for the U-20 side and has netted six goals. (Yonhap)