Wolves have lost Hwang Hee-chan to injury – but the returning Pedro Neto can help Julen Lopetegui deal with the South Korean’s absence.
Hwang limped off just before half-time against Liverpool on Saturday.
After forcing an own goal from Joel Matip, Hwang pulled up and then had to be replaced by Adama Traore.
It was a real shame, as he had been having a really good game.
After the game, Lopetegui said that Hwang was looking at ‘a lot of weeks’ on the sidelines.
The player has apparently flown back to South Korea to get a second opinion on his injury and he is set to return to England at the weekend.
Wolves will likely give an official update on him once he’s back.
Wolves losing Hwang is a blow.
The £14 million star has been much improved since Lopetegui came in, and had been a regular pick under him.
His start against Liverpool was his sixth in a row, and it’s clear the manager likes what he brings to the table.
The Spaniard will be gutted to lose him. But he does have a player who can help him quickly get over the injury loss of Hwang.
Portuguese winger Neto is now back in full training, and should soon be part of a matchday squad.
The star has been sidelined for around four months after suffering ankle ligament damage against West Ham United.
It remains to be seen if he’ll make the squad to face Southampton on Saturday. But he should be close to a return now.
And potentially, he can really ease any worries about Wolves not having Hwang available.
Pedro Neto return is very timely for Wolves as Hwang Hee-chan prepares for stint on the sidelines with injury
One impressive trait that Hwang has is his work rate.
He does really a bust a gut for the team. And you can tell Lopetegui does regard him highly for that.
But Neto, 22, is also a player that gives a high level of intensity.
He was sensational in the 2020/21 season. He really looked a threat every time he got the ball for Wolves in the final third.
But it wasn’t just his dribbling and crossing that was impressive. He also tracked back and worked hard out of possession.
He and Hwang are similar types of players. But arguably, Neto’s end product is generally slightly better.
Hopefully Neto can hit the ground running when he does come back and can ease that blow of Wolves losing Hwang.
Neto will be absolutely raring to go, and make an instant impression under Lopetegui.
Things were often not coming off for him prior to his injury. He often cut a frustrated figure, so he’ll be determined to shine now.