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South Korea striker to miss finals
 Lee is facing up to World Cup heartache after his knee injury. SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's World Cup preparations have suffered a setback with star striker Lee Dong-Gook ruled out of this summer's finals with a knee injury. Lee, 27, requires surgery to repair torn cruciate ligaments in the right knee and will need six months to recuperate. The Pohang Steelers star has been a regular first choice center forward for South Korea's Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, who will announce his final World Cup line-up on May 11. Lee injured the knee in a league match last week and traveled to Germany at the weekend to seek treatment. He has decided to remain there to undergo surgery, his club said. "Lee cannot take part in the World Cup in Germany because of his injury, which will require surgery and up to six months of treatment," said Shin Joo-Hyon, the club spokesman on Friday. The absence of the in-form Lee, who has scored five goals in his last six club games, will pose problems for Advocaat, who took over last October and will have to find a new-look attack. Lee was South Korea's youngest player in the 1998 World Cup finals in France but missed out on the 2002 tournament because he was out of favor with then-coach Guus Hiddink. He won his way back into the squad and scored several important goals for South Korea during the qualifying stage. 
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