T1 head coach Tom said that his staff continues to monitor Faker’s recovery and noted that he is hopeful the mid laner will return in time for the playoffs.
Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok missed on July 27 his seventh LCK match since he took a break from competition because of an arm injury. During that time, T1 have lost all but one series, leaving the team’s playoff chances in peril as we enter the final leg of the regular season.
Im ‘Tom’ Jae-hyeon revealed last week that T1 expect to have Faker back in time for the playoffs, which are slated to start on August 8. However, fans’ concerns only grow with each passing defeat, with July 27’s loss coming at the hands of rock-bottom DRX.
Questioned after the match about the possibility that Faker also misses the playoffs, Tom said that’s the “worst-case scenario.”
“We’re aiming for his return before the playoffs,” he is quoted by Naver as saying. “The team will make an announcement when he is ready to play. I’m watching his solo queue matches from a distance and I can see that it’s still bothering him. When buying items, he sometimes uses his left hand. He also lowers his right arm (under the desk) for a while.”
In Faker’s absence, T1 have turned to Yoon ‘Poby’ Seong-won, an academy player with very little competitive experience. But the team’s issues clearly go beyond the 17-year-old mid laner as the other four players have looked off their game since the three-time Worlds champion stepped back from competition.
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“I think we’ll be able to be more flexible in our champion picks when Faker returns,” Tom is quoted by Inven Global as saying. “I think our performances will be better than they are now.”
T1 Faker continues his recovery
After initially playing only ARAMs, Faker is already taking part in solo queue games as he continues his recovery program. According to jungler Mun ‘Oner’ Hyeon-jun he also attends scrim sessions to help the team and is constantly offering advice to Poby.
With a 7-8 record, T1 could qualify for the playoffs even if they don’t win any of their remaining three matches, depending on the results of the teams that are below them in the standings. Their next match is on Saturday against the red-hot KT Rolster, who are currently on a 13-0 run.
“KT is on a long winning streak, and their performance has been really good,” Oner said. “Their momentum is remarkable. Although we’re on a losing streak, if we beat them, we’ll be able to turn things around. We’ll stand tall and strive to win.”
LCK Summer standings
Green = Already qualified for playoffs
| Placement | Team | Record |
| 1 | Gen.G | 14-1 |
| 1 | KT Rolster | 14-1 |
| 3 | Hanwha Life Esports | 9-5 |
| 3 | Dplus | 9-5 |
| 5 | T1 | 7-8 |
| 6 | Nongshim RedForce | 4-10 |
| 6 | BRION | 4-10 |
| 8 | SANDBOX | 4-11 |
| 8 | Kwangdong Freecs | 4-11 |
| 8 | DRX | 4-11 |
T1’s LCK Summer regular season schedule:
- July 29 – T1 vs KT Rolster
- August 2 – T1 vs Freecs
- August 4 – T1 vs SANDBOX