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Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan to miss friendly matches this summer as he has to do military service in South Korea

WOLVES striker Hwang Hee-chan will miss two of South Korea's friendlies in June - so he can take part in military training.

The 26-year-old striker, nicknamed the Bull, will be available to face Brazil in Seoul on Thursday, June 2 and Chile on June 6.

Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan will miss two of South Korea's friendlies in June as he's set for military training with his country
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Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan will miss two of South Korea's friendlies in June as he's set for military training with his countryCredit: Getty

However, he will then miss out on South Korea's final two friendlies against Paraguay on June 10 and Egypt on June 14 to undergo some basic training with the army.

All South Korean men between the ages of 18 and 28 are required to serve at least 18 months of military service or face possible imprisonment.

Fortunately, Wolves won't feel the draft next season because Hwang earned an exemption from mandatory military service by winning the 2018 Asian Games gold medal.

However, he still has to complete four weeks of basic training this summer before joining up with Wolves for pre-season training.

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His place in the South Korean squad will be taken by Um Won-sang of Ulsan Hyundai FC when Hwang heads to his military base after the Chile game.

South Korea has scheduled the quartet of friendlies to prepare for this year's World Cup in Qatar, where Hwang is expected to be a key player for them.

Meanwhile reports in Portugal claim Wolves are interested in a deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha.

The 26-year-old defensive midfielder has been a long-term target, despite Palhinha signing a contract extension with Sporting until 2026 last year.

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That deal included a £50million release clause, however sources close to the Lisbon club believe the experienced playmaker could be allowed to leave for a cut-price fee of £21million.

Tottenham, Leicester and Everton have also been eyeing up Palhinha's situation.

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