T1 Faker set to resume individual practice after arm injury

T1 star Faker is set to play League of Legends for the first time since sustaining an arm injury, head coach Tom has revealed.

Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok has been sidelined since the beginning of the month with an arm problem that began plaguing him in the June 17 LCK match against BRION.

There is still no timetable for Faker’s return, though Bae ‘Bengi’ Seong-woong, T1’s former head coach, stated that the Korean mid laner would miss at least two weeks of action. This would put July 21 — when T1 take on Hanwha Life Esports — as the earliest possible date for Faker’s return.

In the press conferences after last week’s matches against Nongshim RedForce and Dplus, T1 head coach Im ‘Tom’ Jae-hyeon was cautious when asked for updates about Faker’s recovery. He made it clear that the player will not be rushed back into action, though he did not rule out the possibility of the mid laner featuring at some point during this week.

“He did not play solo queue this week, he has been fully focused on his treatment,” Tom is quoted by Naver as saying after Sunday’s match.

“Next week, he’ll practice individually and check the state of his arm and wrist. If it looks like he will be able to play to some extent, the team will make an announcement.

“His condition might worsen if he starts practicing. So it’s best to wait and see.”

T1 have a 1-3 record without Faker, with losses to DRX, Gen.G and Dplus. They are currently fifth in the LCK Summer standings with a 7-5 record, the same as fourth-placed Hanwha Life Esports.

T1’s LCK Summer regular season schedule:

• July 21 – T1 vs Hanwha Life Esports
• July 23 – T1 vs BRION
• July 27 – T1 vs DRX
• July 29 – T1 vs KT Rolster
• August 2 – T1 vs Freecs
• August 4 – T1 vs SANDBOX