Hwang In-beom nearing full fitness for South Korea's World Cup campaign

HERRIMAN, United States, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean international Hwang In-beom has spent most of the past half year rehabbing assorted injuries. The midfielder for Feyenoord in the top Dutch league hurt his calf in September, his thigh in November and then his ankle in March.

The last of those ailments knocked Hwang out for the rest of his club season, a cause for concern for the national team that has been relying heavily on the 29-year-old midfielder. In a bid to get him back to health for the FIFA World Cup that kicks off June 11, the Korea Football Association assigned members of the national team medical staff to help with Hwang's rehab.

The move has apparently worked, with Hwang claiming he's almost back to full health.

"I can jump into training with the rest of the squad right away. There's no need for concern," Hwang told reporters at Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. South Korean players have set up training camp in the high altitude of Utah to prepare for matches in similar conditions in the Mexican city of Guadalajara next month.

"I can feel my movements have been getting smoother with each passing week," Hwang added. "But I still have to get my match sharpness back, and it's something I have to do by playing. Fortunately, we have a couple of matches before the tournament."

Hwang was referring to South Korea's two friendlies during their Utah camp -- against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, and then El Salvador on June 3. South Korea's first World Cup match will be June 11 against Czechia in Guadalajara.

With Hwang sidelined, South Korea dropped their two previous matches in March, losing 4-0 to Ivory Coast and then 1-0 to Austria. Many pointed to Hwang's absence as a big reason for those losses, since head coach Hong Myung-bo's team sorely missed Hwang's smart, two-way plays from the midfield.

"I don't think we played poorly just because I wasn't there," Hwang said. "We have players that can always step in for people who aren't available. Those still would have been difficult matches even if I had been there."

Hwang is now gearing up for his second World Cup. Four years ago in Qatar, Hwang helped South Korea reach the round of 16.

With the tournament having expanded from 32 to 48 teams, the knockout stage this year will begin in the round of 32. Hwang said the objective is to go deeper into the competition than in Qatar, and that will mean a trip to the quarterfinals.

"Once you get to the knockout stage, anything can happen," he said. "At the last World Cup, some teammates and I were gassed after the three group stage matches. This year, we have plenty of time off between group matches, and it should help us if we get to the round of 32 and 16."

Hwang admitted he had been worried about his ability to help the national team this summer, considering his recent injury history, but he is now confident in the team's chances.

"If we can all come together like we did the last time, I think we can bring joy to so many people back home," Hwang said. "We have so many talented players here. And to make the most of our abilities, we have to put the team first and make sacrifices."