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Hwang Hee-chan sidelined with calf injury as Korea gear up for March friendly

Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 11:04 Updated: 11 Feb. 2026, 15:52

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan celebrates scoring during a Premier League match against West Ham at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on Jan. 3. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea forward Hwang Hee-chan will be sidelined for several weeks with a calf injury, his club Wolverhampton Wanderers has said, dealing a blow to both the Premier League side.

"Channy [Hwang] is out, and it'll be a few weeks. It's his calf," club manager Rob Edwards told reporters Tuesday ahead of his team's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Thursday. "We'll rescan again in a couple of weeks and see where he's at. But he'll probably be a number of weeks."

The 30-year-old left the pitch clutching his leg in the first half of the 3-1 loss to Chelsea on Sunday at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton and was replaced by Ladislav Krejci.

Hwang, known for his strength and direct attacking play, has struggled with frequent injuries in recent seasons. He was also sidelined late last year following a similar calf injury sustained during his national team duty in October.

His injury has an outside chance of affecting Korea's World Cup preparations. The national team is set to take on the Ivory Coast in a friendly in Britain next month before facing Austria in Vienna.

Yonhap