Wolves boss Gary O’Neil makes brutal Pedro Neto injury admission

Gary O’Neil has admitted that Pedro Neto has picked up an injury which could rule him out for the rest of the season.

The Wolves forward was forced off at half-time during the 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United on March 2. He went on to play a week later during the win over Fulham but was taken off whilst clutching his left hamstring after bursting into the Cottagers box.

Neto arrived at Molineux from Lazio in 2019 for a reported fee of £18million, only a month after the Italian club had made his loan deal from Portuguese side Braga a permanent one. And after making over 100 appearances for Wanderers across four-and-a-half seasons, his stock has risen significantly.

But the 23-year-old now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Wolves boss O’Neil admitted after Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Coventry City that Neto may not play again this season.

“Pedro, potentially, it’s the end of the season for him,’” O’Neil said. “It’s very similar to the injury he suffered on the other side. There’s a chance he comes back for the last couple (games), maybe, if it goes really well.”

Pushed further on the injury, O’Neil added: “It’s similar to the last injury, which was around nine weeks, so potentially around that time frame. The rehab can go differently, so it could be quicker or slightly longer. We’ll see how it goes.”

Doubts have been raised over Neto’s long-term future in Old Gold. Recent reports have claimed that there is interest from Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle.

The Portuguese forward has made 23 appearances in all competitions for Wolves this season, scoring three times and providing 11 assists.