Heung-min Son is expected to miss the first month of the new season, with Tottenham set to reluctantly allow him to play in the Asian Games.

Son underlined his status as South Korea’s star player with two goals at the World Cup, but their group-stage exit means he has still not earned a reprieve from the country’s mandatory 21-month military service laws.

A gold medal at the Games — an Under-23 tournament with three spots for overage players — in Indonesia would earn an exemption for Son, who turns 26 this month. Spurs have no obligation to release him, because the tournament is not part of the official Fifa calendar. However, the club are in discussions with the forward and Korean football chiefs, and Son has indicated he wants to compete in the tournament as a wildcard.

Spurs are expected to allow him to do so in the hope that he can avoid being conscripted, which is mandatory for all able-bodied Korean males up to the age of 28.

Tottenham’s Premier League campaign gets under way against Newcastle on August 11. The Asian Games begin three days later, with the final on September 1. If South Korea successfully defend their title, Son would miss the first four matches of the season, against Newcastle, Fulham, Manchester United and Watford.

In 2014, Bayer Leverkusen refused to allow Son to take part in the Games, a decision that cost the German club when he joined Spurs for just £22million in 2015. Son again missed the chance to avoid national service when South Korea failed to win a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, losing in the quarter-finals.

The current situation is further complicated because the 2019 Asian Cup will be held in January in the United Arab Emirates and, as a Fifa tournament, South Korea have the right to summon Son. However, it is thought Spurs could allow Son to compete in the Asian Games only if South Korea allow him to miss the continent’s showpiece tournament.

Former Arsenal forward Park Chu-young postponed his military service for 10 years after his lawyers found a loophole created by his three-year residency in France as a Monaco player.

It was seen as a hugely contentious move from which Park’s popularity in his homeland suffered.

Tottenham's 2018-19 Premier League fixtures in full