There are concerns over Hwang Hee-chan’s fitness as the Wolves forward was injured on international duty.
In South Korea’s win over Jordan, Hwang was forced off injured during the first half, playing just 23 minutes of the fixture.
It was a nightmare start to the international break for Hwang and for Wolves, who will be wary of the forward’s fitness ahead of a crucial set of fixtures when domestic play recommences.
Gary O’Neil will be eager to have all of his players return to Compton fit and ready to turn their fortunes around although, this might not be possible for Hwang.
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Expert provides update on Hwang Hee-chan injury
Hwang was involved in a terrible challenge against Jordan, seeing his ankle get caught beneath him in a horror tackle.
As a result, the 28-year-old had to be helped off the pitch, bringing fear to those at Molineux as the forward looked in great discomfort.
While an official verdict on the injury is yet to be heard, injury analyst Physio Scout took to X to share their opinion on the possible extent of Hwang’s blow.
“Forced eversion at the ankle after a horrible tackle brings concern for a high-grade ankle sprain/syndesmosis injury,” the injury expert explained.
“There is slight concern for a midfoot injury too, but more so focusing on the syndesmosis injury here. We’ve seen similar tackles made in Joao Pedro, Wissa and O’Riley’s injuries.
“Unfortunately, this doesn’t look too promising, and he may need surgery to fix the structures around his ankle.”
In the instance that Hwang does require surgery to fix his ankle, a possible recovery time of 8-10 weeks was referenced.
With optimism, there’s also belief that the Korean could only face 3-4 weeks on the sidelines; however, the expert sees such scenario as being ‘less likely’.
“A little chance there is only moderate damage here (3-4 weeks), but it’s less likely for sure. The Wolves attacker was seen in a wheelchair after the injury. Hopefully we’re wrong here.”
Added pressure at Wolves for Gary O’Neil
Seeing a first team player pick up a possibly severe injury in the opening minutes of the international break is the last thing O’Neil would’ve wanted to see.
Wolves are in desperate need of points in the coming games, with the manager’s job possibly on the line as the Old Gold sit bottom of the table.
While Hwang has been somewhat of a shadow of his usual self so far this term, losing a player of his experience and quality when at his best is a blow, particularly if the expert’s prediction is correct.
An all hands on deck approach is needed at Molineux in the coming weeks to turn fortunes around, making Hwang’s injury a grave concern in the squad.