Park Still Recovering From Injury

It was the first time in three months and two weeks that he was a starting member for a game, but it was clear that he was not yet in his best condition. On December 18, the “big engine” Park Ji-sung (25, Manchester United) warmed his engine up as a six-minute replacement in a game against West Ham United three months after injuring ankle ligaments in a game with Tottenham Hotspur on September 9. He then played as a starting member in the away match for the English Premiership League game against Aston Villa on December 24.

He ran as a right wing, showing fast breaks from the side and an impressive shooting, barreling along the grounds for 65 minutes until he was replaced by Wayne Rooney 20 minutes into the second half of the game. It was Park’s 50th appearance after he joined Manchester United.

Ji-sung Park ran actively on the ground, with moments like a strong left foot shot just left of the penalty area after receiving a pass from left wingback Evra seven minutes into the first half, but it was clear that he was not his old self. The English sports media, Sky Sports, gave Ji-sung Park a relatively low player rating of five. The assessment was that although Park showed fast breaks and an impressive shooting, “he was not his best.”

Manchester defeated Aston Villa 3-0 with Christiano Ronaldo scoring two goals and Paul Scholes shooting a stunning mid-distance goal, firmly defending their first place position this season with 15 wins, 2 ties and 2 losses (total 47 points).

Meanwhile, with Christmas just around the corner, Park and his fellow team members visited nearby hospitals and gave presents to the young patients. The Manchester website reported that Ji-sung Park, along with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, and Kiern Richardson visited Pendlebury hospital and made it a special Christmas for the children.

yjongk@donga.com