Tottenham to discover Son return date amid South Korea semi-final

Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham will be given a definitive answer on Son Heung-min's Tottenham return on Tuesday afternoon. Departing the club after the team's win over Bournemouth on New Year's Eve to represent South Korea in the Asian Cup, the tournament in Qatar draws to a conclusion on Saturday evening.

Son and South Korea will be hoping to secure a place in the showpiece finale at the Lusail Stadium but first they must overcome Jordan later today in their semi-final clash. The sides have already met during the tournament having faced each other in the group stage, with South Korea needing a stoppage-time equaliser to secure a point following a 2-2 draw.

Jurgen Klinsmann's men have needed a number of stoppage-time goals on their way to the semi-finals, including one in their Round of 16 game against Saudi Arabia that they later won on penalties and then again in their following game against Australia. Having taken the match to extra-time, Son then won the quarter-final tie for his country with a sublime free-kick that found the top corner.

Now set to lead South Korea out with a place in the final up for grabs, it is also a key day for Tottenham as they will finally discover when exactly Son will return to action for the team after missing the last five games. If South Korea are to be eliminated at the semi-final stage then the 31-year-old will be back at Hotspur Way ahead of Saturday's home clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.

If his country are to reach the final, Son will instead make his comeback at home to Wolves the following week as the Asian Cup final takes place the same day as Tottenham's match against Brighton. Whereas a number of major tournaments do have a third-place play-off game for the two sides who are defeated in the semi-finals, that will not be the case in this year's Asian Cup.

This is the second time that there is no third-place play-off, following on from the 2019 edition of the tournament. The last time there was a third-place play-off in the Asian Cup back in 2015, United Arab Emirates triumphed with a 3-2 win over Iraq as Australia, managed by Postecoglou, defeated Son's South Korea in the final.

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Speaking ahead of last Friday's quarter-final showdown between South Korea and Australia, Postecoglou was asked about his Tottenham captain and he admitted that he doesn't mind missing Son for a couple more games as he targets lifting the trophy for his country.

"It's kind of a win-win for me," he said on the South Korea vs Australia quarter-final. "Obviously being Australian I'd love for them to get through then we'd get Sonny back, but part of me would love Sonny to win an Asian Cup. I know what it'd mean to him and his country.

"They put great stock in that competition and Sonny, for everything he's done for the game and his nation, as disappointed as I would be if Australia go out, I'd love Sonny to go all the way and don't mind if he missed a couple more games for us."

Having had to do without their influential attacker since the turn of the year, Son's Tottenham return will become clear for all later on Tuesday afternoon.