Jae-sung Lee
M05Republic of Korea
Left
Aug 10, 1992
33
5'11"
154 lb
CM
LW
Box-to-Box
MainzNamed to bench
Lee (toe) is on the bench for Sunday's match against Union Berlin.
Analysis: Lee is back in the team sheet Sunday following some testing, as the forward earns a spot on the bench. He will be keen on a return to the starting XI in the season finale, starting in all 26 of his appearances while recording four goals and two assists.
Late call for Berlin match
Lee (toe) is a late call for Sunday's match against Union Berlin, according to manager Urs Fischer. "Jae-sung has come through all the sessions well and hasn't had any issues. We've still got one more training session before the game, and then we'll decide whether he's ready to feature on Sunday."
Analysis: Lee is the only player waiting on testing for Sunday's match, as he has continued to train but is not yet deemed fit. The club will give him time to train Saturday before making a final call, leaving him as a true game-time decision. He started in all 26 appearances while scoring four goals and two assists before the injury, so there is a slight chance he starts immediately if deemed fit.
Returns to partial training
Jae-Sung (toe) participated in partial team training for the first time Wednesday, joining his teammates for running and passing exercises after fracturing a toe in early April, according to the club.
Analysis: Jae-Sung's return to partial training is an encouraging development after missing the last four Bundesliga fixtures with the toe fracture. The 33-year-old South Korean midfielder did not take part in the final training matches during the session, suggesting he is not yet ready for full contact work. Whether he can increase his workload over the coming days will determine if he becomes an option for the home fixture against Union Berlin. Nadiem Amiri and Paul Nebel are expected to continue covering his role in midfield until he is fully cleared to return.
Could miss rest of season
Lee (toe) was absent from team training for around three weeks and is at risk of missing the remainder of the season, according to Allgemeinen Zeitung.
Analysis: Lee had been given a three-week recovery timeline after being diagnosed with a small toe fracture in early April, but his continued absence from training suggests he has not yet been able to handle the intensity of sessions on the pitch. With only a handful of matches remaining in the Bundesliga season, the window for him to feature again is closing fast, and Mainz will not push him back before he is genuinely ready given the severity of the original diagnosis. Nadiem Amiri and Paul Nebel are expected to continue covering his role in midfield for the final stretch of the campaign if he can't return.
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