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Injured Hwang Hee-chan
(Amman = Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Young-seok = The match between South Korea and Jordan in the third Asian qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Amman International Stadium in Jordan on the 10th (local time).
Hwang Hee-chan is complaining of pain. 2024.10.11
ondol@yna.co.kr
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Injured Hwang Hee-chan is leaving the stadium on the sidelines. 2024.10.11
ondol@yna.co.kr
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'The Korean Guy'Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) did not have a chance to play for the first time since returning from injury.
Hwang Hee-chan was included on the bench list in the 15th round of the English Premier League (EPL) away game against West Ham at London Stadium in London on the 10th (Korea time), but was not replaced. The team lost 1-2, falling into a three-game losing streak.
Hwang Hee-chan left the ground for about 50 days due to an ankle injury from October to November and returned at the end of November, gradually increasing his playing time. He played as a substitute for 1 minute in the second half (4-1 wins), 8 minutes in the game against Bournemouth (2-4 losses), and 33 minutes in the game against Everton (0-4 losses).
Since Wolverhampton lost two consecutive games before West Ham, it was expected to change the squad against West Ham, but manager Gary O'Neill left the offense to Jorgen Strand Larsen, Brazilian technician Matheus Cunha and Joao Gomes.
West Ham gave Tomas Soucek the first goal in the 9th minute of the second half, and Matt Doherty's equalizer in the 24th minute of the second half brought the game back to square one. O'Neill left Hwang Hee-chan on the bench and put in Tommy Doyle and Rodrigo Gomes one after another in the 27th minute of the second half, but he failed to change the result.
Hwang Hee-chan failed to play without injury for the second time this season after the Aston Villa match (1-3 loss) in the fifth round.
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Hwang Hee-chan's last start was against Chelsea in the second round (2-6 losses), and Hwang Hee-chan had been losing his starting position little by little before injuring his ankle in an away match in Jordan in October.
This season's record is nine games (295 minutes), zero goals and zero assists.
It is a season that contrasts with his career-high record of 12 goals and 3 assists in 29 EPL games in the 2023-2024 season.
Hwang Hee-chan was booed by Wolverhampton fans in the last match against Everton. According to the Wolverhampton local magazine 'Molinho News', it is unclear whether the booing was directed at Hwang Hee-chan or the coach's decision to substitute Hwang Hee-chan in the second half. However, it is clear that Hwang Hee-chan is in a situation where he is not applauded.
Coach O'Neill defended Hwang Hee-chan after the game, saying he was the team's top scorer last season, but he decided not to use Hwang Hee-chan on that day, perhaps conscious of 'fansim'.
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This choice was not a plus factor for the team. Wolverhampton have been mired in a three-game losing streak in their defeat to West Ham. He finished 19th in the relegation zone with only nine points from 15 matches. If it weren't for Southampton (five points), it would not be a strange trend to fall to the bottom.
The 'Molinho News' predicted that the West Ham match will decide O'Neill's future. Currently, for Hwang Hee-chan, O'Neill's departure could be beneficial to rebound his position.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
