T1 snap losing streak as Faker makes LCK return after arm injury
Riot GamesLee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok started for T1 as the team made light work of Kwangdong Freecs in LCK Summer. The match marked the Korean mid laner’s return to action after a month on the sidelines because of an arm injury.
With only one week left before the end of the regular season of the LCK Summer split, T1 have brought Faker back into the starting lineup as the team steps up preparations for the playoffs. August 2’s victory against Kwangdong Freecs — a 46-minute 2-0 series — was Faker’s first appearance in exactly a month.
The 27-year-old mid laner announced on July 2 that he had been dealing with an arm problem, with T1 confirming days later that the player was set for a spell on the sidelines.
Former T1 coach Bae ‘Bengi’ Seong-woong said that Faker would miss at least two weeks of action, but the problem required more time to heal. He missed eight LCK matches, with T1 going on a horror 1-7 run during that period with academy player Yoon ‘Poby’ Seong-won in the mid lane.
Faker’s return to action came just a few days after T1 head coach Im ‘Tom’ Jae-hyeon stated that the player would likely feature at some point before the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on August 8.
Faker returns to LCK stage after four weeks out
After a month away from action, Faker showed clear signs of rustiness, but his mere presence on the Rift made everyone around him play much better. T1 were in control from the get-go, even with Faker getting caught off-guard on a number of occasions in game one. He ended the series with two kills, three deaths and 13 assists.
With this victory, T1 ended a five-match losing streak and brought their LCK Summer record to 8-9 ahead of their final match of the regular season, against SANDBOX Gaming (5-11). The highest the team can finish is fifth, which means they will have to play an elimination match in the first round of the playoffs.
Faker will use these two matches to regain some match sharpness before the playoffs (and potentially Worlds 2023). The Korean mid laner is also part of South Korea’s roster for the 2022 Asian Games, which will begin on September 23.
T1’s fans hope that Faker’s return will salvage a split that turned sour while the star mid laner was out. The team looked disjointed and lacking in confidence, with jungler Moon ‘Oner’ Hyeon-joon admitting that the atmosphere in the group was “pretty bad” and that there was tension between the players. Even with a sub-par Faker, the improvements are already visible.