Faker takes LCK break amid injury woes

South Korean esports organisation T1 Esports has announced that its League of Legends superstar player Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok will be taking a break from active competition due to an arm and hand injury.

T1's academy player Yoon "Poby" Sung-won will be stepping up into the midlane position for his LCK debut today against DRX.

T1 has shared that Faker will be taking part in rehabilitation programs, and they hope to see him back in action during the 2023 LCK Summer Season. This puts and implied estimation of a return window sometime before the LCK playoff start in early August.

The impact of Faker's LCK departure

During a recent press conference, after a too-close-for-comfort match against the bottom-ranked Nongshim Redforce, Faker revealed issues with his arm starting in Week 2 of the active LCK Summer Split.

He shared that the injury had been affecting him and his play and that he was seeking medical treatment. According to T1, he underwent X-rays and MRI scans which showed "no major abnormalities."

The release of the news was timed in accordance with the official roster reveal window for the team's LCK match against DRX in order not to reveal their strategy. 

What's next for T1?

The news hits during a crucial week in LCK, during which T1 will face regional rival Gen.G, who is currently leading the LCK Summer Season with an undefeated score of 8-0.

17-year-old LCK rookie Poby from T1's academy, who has been with the organisation since 2021, will be celebrating his debut in the top flight of South Korean LoL. T1 Esports Academy is currently sitting at a 2-7 match score in LCK Challengers League.

Currently sitting at a season score of 6-2, T1 has some buffer in their record in order to secure an LCK Summer Playoffs spot though a top 2 seed and a direct placement into the second stage of the bracket may fall out of reach.