South Korea are sweating on the fitness of key center-back Kim Min-Jae who suffered a knock in their first game against Uruguay.

Two days before the second match against Ghana, 'monster defender' Kim Min-jae was not seen at the training ground in Doha, Qatar.

After the game against Uruguay , he was excluded from training for two consecutive days and focused on recovery and treatment.

Kim Min-jae's injury is a big loss and bad news for the Korean national team as they prepare to face Ghana this afaternoon.

In the match against Uruguay, Kim Min-jae led the defensive line against world-class strikers such as Luis Suárez (Club Nacional), Darwin Núñez (Liverpool), Facundo Pelestri (Manchester United), and Edison Cavani (Valencia), without conceding a goal.

In the end, Kim Min-jae, who threw his whole body, injured his right muscle while blocking Núñez (Liverpool) in the 17th minute of the second half.

Kim Min-jae said to the reporters that day, "I'm not sure because it's my first muscle injury, but I don't think it's serious."

Korean Coach Paulo  Bento was cautious, saying, "Kim Min-jae has digested the European Champions League (UCL) and has an injury," and "I will watch and watch the schedule.

" In the end, Kim Min-jae focused on rest and treatment at the dorm instead of joining the training. He would be very fortunate if the injury was not severe and he could return to training, but it is unclear whether he will be able to maximize his sense of the game.

An official from the Korea Football Association (KFA) said, "It's not serious." For now, there are enough cards to replace Kim Min-jae.

Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka), Yoon Jong-kyu (FC Seoul), and Cho Yu-min (Daejeon Hana Citizen) are waiting in the wings as replacement if he is not fit to face Ghana.

In particular, Kwon Kyung-won, who was first selected for the World Cup but has rich experience in Middle East soccer, is considered the number one replacement.