Wolverhampton: South 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 and the South Korean national team less than four months before the 2026 World Cup kicks off.

According to Yonhap News Agency, club manager Rob Edwards informed reporters on Tuesday that Hwang, affectionately known as "Channy," will be out of action for a few weeks due to his calf injury. Edwards mentioned that they plan to conduct another scan in a couple of weeks to assess Hwang's recovery, but he is expected to be out for several weeks.

The 30-year-old forward sustained the injury during the first half of Wolverhampton's 3-1 loss to Chelsea at Molineux Stadium. Hwang left the pitch clutching his leg and was subsequently replaced by teammate Ladislav Krejci.

Hwang has been plagued by frequent injuries in recent seasons and faced a similar calf injury last year during his national team duties in October. His absence is a concern for South Korea's World Cup preparations, as the national team is scheduled to play a friendly match against Ivory Coast in Britain next month, followed by a match against Austria in Vienna.