Birmingham City midfielder Paik Seung-ho is set to delay shoulder surgery and return to the club in a week, after being granted extended leave by manager Chris Davies following his participation in the World Cup with South Korea.
World Cup involvement and injury update
South Korea surprisingly failed to progress beyond the group stages, but Paik started all three games and experienced no issues with his troublesome shoulder. The 29-year-old dislocated his left shoulder twice last season, first at Middlesbrough in November before it popped out again during a match with West Bromwich Albion in February.
Paik will have to undergo surgery at some stage to correct the issue, but Davies is under the impression that he intends to play on. “He’s back in a week on Monday,” Davies told BirminghamLive. “We haven’t discussed the shoulder surgery so I presume we will try and find the right time for that in the summer.”
Davies’ perspective on Paik’s resilience
Davies expressed confidence in Paik’s ability to manage the injury, citing his past robustness. “If Paik turned around and said he couldn’t continue then we would obviously respect his wishes, but I’m pretty sure I’m right in saying he played two weeks after dislocating it for the first time. He’s robust, he’s happy.”
The manager also drew a comparison to another player with a similar issue. “Kyogo had a similar injury and played with it for several seasons before getting the operation. It’s possible. Next summer he’s definitely not going to have a World Cup to go to, so is that an ideal time for him to get surgery?”
Potential return for Barcelona friendly
Paik could come into contention for Blues' final friendly of the summer against FC Barcelona if all goes to plan. His return would provide a boost to the squad as they prepare for the upcoming season.
