It has been a struggle of a season for Hwang Hee-chan, who was one of Wolves’ standout performer last term.
The South Korea international has failed to build on his 2023/24 campaign which saw him score 12 Premier League goals under Gary O’Neil.
So far this term, Hwang has only scored two goals in 22 appearances.
He has faced competition for minutes in the form of Matheus Cunha, Goncalo Guedes, Rodrigo Gomes and even Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
But Hwang has once again struggled with injuries this season for Wolves.
He missed a few games earlier in the season after sustaining an ankle injury while on internantional duty.
And more recently, Hwang sustained a hamstring injury against Blackburn Rovers, causing him to miss a handful of games. Hwang has certainly been no stranger to hamstring injuries throughout his career.
Ahead of the game against Southampton on Saturday, Hwang has made some comments which may come a slight surprise to fans.
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Hwang tell Wolves fans he’s finally pain-free after injury struggles
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Hwang has been speaking about his injury problems – and it is clear that he has been struggling.
Seemingly, the player has had issues even when he’s played this term.
He is quoted by Wolves’ official website as saying: “This season has been filled with frustrating moments, but now that I’m free from pain, I’m so happy to be back to my usual self. As always, I believe I can perform well when I’m injury-free.
“So many people helped me. I received great treatment which really helped my recovery. Thanks to the great treatment, I was able to come back in perfect condition.
“Now, I have no pain at all. The issue has completely gone away, it even feels a bit unfamiliar to run so lightly. It was a refreshing period of preparation for this game.”
Wolves need Hwang to rediscover mojo
This update from Hwang will be welcomed by Pereira, who does seem to be a fan of him.
Pereira recently praised Hwang, stating that he is ‘dangerous because he’s fast, he’s fast in a short space’.
One gets the sense that Pereira will be calling on him a lot going forward, and Wolves really do need him to rediscover his mojo.
We know that Hwang – who cost Wolves £14 million (BBC Sport) – is a confidence player.
Hwang by March 13 last season Hwang by March 13 this season
Appearances – 23 Appearances – 22
Goals – 11 Goals – 2
Assists – 3 Assists – 1
He has been lacking that for a lot of this season, but there is still time for him to make a big impact at Molineux this season.
There is a reason why every manager Hwang has played under at Wolves has spoken positive about him and given him fairly regular game time.
He really is a good player and is often overly and unfairly criticised on social media. It’s just all about him feeling that belief in him and having the confidence to shine.