Hong Myung-bo, head coach of South Korea’s national soccer team, said Monday he hopes the injured striker Park Chu-young will stay at home for rehab instead of returning to his English club.

Park, who plays for Watford in England’s second division, arrived in South Korea on April 3 to treat his injured right foot.

Doctors said he would need two to three weeks of rehab. With Watford’s season scheduled to end on May 4 and Park still not 100 percent, Hong said the player would be better off rehabbing in South Korea.

“He’s going back and forth between the hospital and the rehab center,” Hong said. “At this point, it seems difficult for him to return to England. But I think it’d be better if Park himself states whether he will rejoin Watford or not. He will be in talks with the club soon to make the decision.”

Hong said Park is “recovering quickly,” and he should be able to begin light exercises next week. The coach also said if Park decided to stay here, Seigo Ikeda, the national team’s physical trainer, will help with his rehab.

Park’s health just might determine how far South Korea can go in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this June. South Korea has been lacking firepower in recent matches, and Park, with 24 goals in 62 international contests, could be the solution on offense.

Against Greece in March, in his first international match in more than a year, Park scored the eventual winner in the 2-0 victory.

He has spent the better part of the past three years in football exile, mostly confined to the bench for Arsenal in the Premier League. He got his reprieve in January when Arsenal loaned him to Watford but has seen little action there while dealing with nagging injuries. (Yonhap)