Newcastle United given major injury boost as Wolves boogeyman ruled out of St James’ Park clash

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil has confirmed Newcastle United boogeyman Hwang Hee-chan should miss this weekend’s clash with a hamstring injury.

The 28-year-old was hooked after an hour last night as Wolves overcame Brighton in the FA Cup. While the injury is not expected to be serious, it will likely rule him out for their trip to St James’ Park on Saturday.

Hwang has proven a nuisance for Newcastle since arriving in the Premier League from RB Leipzig. Four goals in five games - including an equaliser at Molineux earlier this season - makes him a thorn in the side for Toon supporters.

The South Korean, who has 11 goals across all competitions, famously bagged twice to put Newcastle to the sword in October 2021 - the final game of the Mike Ashley era. Astonishingly, 22 per cent of his Premier League goals have come against the Magpies.

But Wolves must do without him for the upcoming clash, with manager O’Neil admitting he would be “amazed” if he plays against Newcastle. He said after the Brighton win: “Channy's was disappointing because, in my opinion, this game is so big it should be played on a Saturday when we've had a week to prepare and you can pick your strongest team without concerns of how people are.

“We rotated a few but wanted to take the game seriously. Channy felt something in his hamstring. It's small, nothing like Neto or Cunha, a really small one. He had a tough spell while he was away.

“He wasn't fit for much of the camp with South Korea and maybe isn't quite as sharp and fit as he was before. I'm disappointed we lost him, but I'm hopeful it's not too serious. I'd be amazed if he plays on the weekend.”