The Tottenham Hotspur forward sustained multiple fractures around his left eye three weeks ago and has been training in Qatar wearing a black protective mask reminiscent of swashbuckling vigilante Zorro.
Group H also includes Portugal and Ghana, meaning Son’s unrelenting threat and firepower against an uncertain Uruguayan defence will be vital for South Korea to pick up some crucial early points by negating Uruguay’s attacking flair.
South Korea coach Paulo Bento has imposed a team gag order on discussing Son’s state of World Cup readiness, hoping to keep Uruguay’s strategists in the dark.
“We should check and analyse day by day, let him come,” Bento said in the run-up to Qatar.
“We have time to make the right decisions and the best decisions for all of us.”