Star midfielder Lee CY to miss 9 months due to leg injury

Leading soccer striker Lee Chung-yong of the English Premier League`s Bolton Wanderers will miss at least nine months after suffering a serious injury to his right leg Saturday.

Lee, 23, sustained a double fracture of his lower right leg in a preseason game versus Newport County in South Wales after being tackled by Newport midfielder Tom Miller in the 25th minute with Bolton up, 2-1. Lee underwent surgery at a nearby hospital.

Bolton announced on its official website that Lee will be out for at least nine months. This means he will miss most of the 2011-12 season, which opens on Aug. 13.

His injury is also bad news for the Korean national team ahead of Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup starting next month.

Midfielder Nam Tae-hee, who plays for Valenciennes FC in France, is the favorite player to replace Lee in the national team. Strikers Ji Dong-won of Sunderland and Lee Keun-ho of Japan’s Gamba Osaka could also take Lee`s place on the right wing.

The national team has little time to decide, however.

bluesky@donga.com