Hwang Hee-chan could be back in action this weekend

Hwang Hee-chan could be back in the Wolverhampton Wanderers squad as early as this weekend, manager Gary O’Neil said Tuesday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan warms up ahead of a match against Everton at Goodison Park in Liverpool on Saturday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Hwang Hee-chan could be back in the Wolverhampton Wanderers squad as early as this weekend, manager Gary O’Neil said Tuesday.

Hwang exited a Premier League clash with Everton early on Aug. 26 with a possible hamstring injury. Wolves offered no further comment on the situation until after the club’s 5-0 win over Blackpool in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Hwang was out of the squad for that match, but O’Neil said in a post-game press conference that there was nothing serious to worry about and the Korean midfielder could be back in the squad as early as Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace.

The news will come as a relief not just to O’Neil, but also to Jurgen Klinsmann and the Korean national team, who are expecting Hwang to join training for two friendlies early next month.

Hamstring injuries are a major area of concern for Hwang, who missed a month earlier this year and was sidelined for nearly 50 days at the end of 2021 with the same issue.

Since joining Wolves in 2021, Hwang has missed a total of 17 games for both Wolves and the Korean team — 16 of those games were missed due to hamstring injuries. A hamstring injury nearly took him out of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, although the fiery midfielder known as The Bull eventually returned in the final group stage game to score the crucial goal that carried Korea through to the knockout stage.

If Hwang does make an experience on Sunday — even if it is, as is likely, from the bench — it will be his last game with Wolves for a couple of weeks. The FIFA international break begins after the weekend’s games, with Hwang and Korea set to face Wales in Cardiff on Sept. 7 and Saudi Arabia a few days later in Newcastle on Sept. 12.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]