Korea will try to inch closer to a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup this week without their best defender. Korea will face Oman at 8 p.m. Thursday at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi, in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification.

Bayern Munich have been accused of not protecting South Korea defender Kim Min-jae from injury by his national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. Kim will miss South Korea’s World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Jordan in March due to an Achilles injury he sustained while at Bayern.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany announced that Kim Min-jae will be out injured for the time being. At the pre-match press conference before the Bundesliga clash against Union Berlin, Kompany said that Kim will “be out the next few weeks.