Tottenham will now lose star man Heung-min Son for another period with the South Korean heading for the Asian Cup.
The forward, who is in fine form after finding his feet having had to miss out on domestic football due to the Asian Games last year, has missed the start of the tournament as part of a deal struck between club and county.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted they won’t be hurt by Son’s absence.
“I’ve accepted we’re going to lose him, so I’ve tried to make sure the squad is strong enough to push forward and to perform in the way which we expect,” he said. “I’m so happy with my squad.
“You want all your best players, but we’re not going to suffer because we knew at the start of the season this was going to happen.”
Where is it?
The United Arab Emirates is playing host to the 2019 tournament across four cities and eight stadiums.
The final is set to be played at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
When do South Korea play?
Monday, January 7: 1-0 vs Philippines
Friday, January 11 1-0 vs Kyrgyzstan
Wednesday, January 16 vs China
When does it end?
The final will take place on Friday, February 1.
Tottenham play Newcastle at home on February 2, and host Leicester on February 10.
When does Son leave Tottenham?
Son has left to join up with his national side following Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, January 13.
Can I watch the games?
The Asian Cup is not being shown on TV in the United Kingdom or United States.