Gary O’Neil has confirmed how long Hwang Hee-Chan will be out on the sidelines after his injury against Brighton.
Injuries have been a big problem for Wolves in recent weeks. Since their 4-2 victory over Chelsea, Hwang Hee-Chan, Matheus Cunha and Joao Gomes have all missed games due to injury.
These players were clearly a loss against Newcastle, with Wolves missing their key attackers as well as the anchor Joao Gomes provides in midfield.
While Joao Gomes is hopefully just a knock and Cunha is recovering at a good place, O’Neil was less positive about Hwang Hee-Chan.
Hwang Hee-Chan out for six weeks
After the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle, O’Neil was able to offer an update on injuries. Jose Sa and Pedro Neto were both forced off at half-time with the manager confirming the duo picked up knocks.
On top of this, journalist Nathan Judan reported that O’Neil confirmed the South Korean international will miss six weeks of action, disastrous news for Wolves.
Hwang was forced off early in the second half against Brighton after he pulled up with a hamstring injury at Molineux.
This means that the attacker is certain to miss the club’s FA Cup quarter-final game against Coventry on March 16.
He is also likely to miss Wolves’ trip to Villa Park at the end of March as the O’Neil looks to get another derby victory away from home.
Wolves are in an injury crisis
Wolves’ lack of depth has finally caught up with them. A major worry at the start of the season, injuries have not been a major issue for the club so far this season.
However, a run of Premier League games combined with the FA Cup has seen the fixture list pile up. Many will see this as a cost of their success this season, with O’Neil working wonders at the club.
A lack of investment in January also has led the club down this road. Wolves allowed both Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva to leave the club but did not bring in any appropriate replacements.
As a result, Wolves’ bench has been left bare, with O’Neil having few options to try and claw the result back against Newcastle.
Luckily, if Hwang does return in six weeks, he should be available for the FA Cup semi-final which is set to take place on April 20 if they overcome Coventry.
If Wolves want to build on their success next season, they must invest in more options in the attacking areas.