It is now becoming more and more frequent to see players in masks on a football pitch. It is not a new fashion thin, but protection for their faces.
Two players in the World Cup have been seen sporting protective masks already - Josko Gvardiol of Croatia and Tottenham star Son Heung-min. The South Korean forward took to the pitch for their opening clash against Uruguay with the covering on his face after fracturing his left eye.
The 30-year-old forward was forced to withdraw in the first-half of Spurs' 2-1 win over Marseille in the UEFA Champions League earlier this month. He was caught in the face when challenging for a header with Chancel Mbemba. Doubt was quickly cast as to whether Son would travel to Qatar to represent his nation at the tournament, but he later underwent eye surgery.
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As he continues to recover from said knock, the South Korea captain is wearing a carbon mask to protect his face. Speaking to the press ahead of the Uruguay tie, which ended 0-0, head coach Paulo Bento confirmed that Son is okay and downplayed concerns that a mask will hinder his performance.
"I think the fact that he will be wearing a mask is not an inconvenience for him, it's quite natural for him," the South Korea boss said. "We stuck with the plan when we arrived here... But we will see tomorrow how it will be.
"Our hope is that he will be comfortable to the greatest extent possible and use the best strategy so that he can feel at ease during the game. He knows, and we know that after his injury, we cannot take any risks."
In a heartfelt message posted to his Instagram account after successful surgery, Son said: "Hi everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you all for the messages of support I have received over the last week.
"I have read so many of them and truly, truly appreciate you all. In a tough time, I received a lot of strength from you! Playing for your country at the World Cup is the dream of so many children growing up, just as it was one of mine too. I won't miss this for the world. I can't wait to represent our beautiful country, see you soon. Sonny."
Son is set to be central to any success that his country enjoys at the World Cup in Qatar despite heading into the tournament off the back of an injury. He captained the side in their 3-2 defeat against Ghana, with fans disappointed after the Spurs star's country had battled back from 2-0 down to level just after the hour mark.
South Korea will need a big performance to overcome Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, who sit top after two wins in their first two clashes. To qualify, Son and his side will need to beat Portugal by two goals and hope that Ghana do not pick up a win against Uruguay. They will also need to maintain their goal difference lead over Uruguay should Rodrigo Bentancur's side beat Ghana.
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