Pedro Neto making Wolves injury return next month would be 'fantastic news'

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·16 November 2023

Pedro Neto making Wolves injury return next month would be 'fantastic news'

Highlights

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto's return within a month would be a "big boost" for the Molineux outfit.
The Wolves star still leads the way in the Premier League's assist charts, despite missing the last two games with a hamstring injury.
Gary O'Neil hopes he can be fit for Wanderers' trip to Fulham in two weeks, as Arsenal and one other club assess a potential January move for the wide man.

Wolverhampton Wanderers star Pedro Neto’s return from injury within a month would be a “big boost” for the club, as journalist Dean Jones provides GIVEMESPORT with his verdict on the winger’s importance at Molineux.

The Wolves talisman suffered a hamstring injury in Gary O’Neil’s side’s 2-2 home draw with Newcastle United last month. He missed their recent 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United and victory over Tottenham Hotspur by the same scoreline.

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Given their challenging fixtures, Wanderers have enjoyed a decent start to the campaign and hope to avoid a relegation battle in the next few weeks. Neto’s return could significantly boost the club’s chances of an unlikely top-half finish in the Premier League this term.

Neto aiming to be back imminently

Fears were raised at Molineux when Neto pulled up with what looked like a severe hamstring injury in last month’s draw with Newcastle. Wolves had recently equalised through a stunning Hwang Hee-chan equaliser and were pushing to win the game before the Portugal winger's went down whilst attacking the Magpies backline. It dampened a positive evening for O’Neil’s side, who had just won 2- 1 at AFC Bournemouth the previous weekend.

However, soon after the game, O’Neil revealed that Neto was ‘walking around’ and hoping that the severity of the injury would be on a smaller scale. The following day, the speedster posted on X, revealing that he would be out for a ‘couple of weeks’ and that he was focused on his recovery.

Neto has missed the last two games, which have produced varying results, but now he has an international break to get back up to speed as soon as possible. Last week, O’Neil revealed that he hopes Neto can be available for Wolves’ trip to Fulham in their first fixture after the November international break. Before Wanderers’ home fixture with Tottenham, the 40-year-old head coach told Wolves’ official website:

“Pedro [Neto] is still missing, but the rest of the group is okay. I hope he’ll be back [for Fulham], but there’s a lot to do between now and then. There are still over two and a half weeks and a lot we need to tick off before he’s able to play again.”

Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Neto’s injury would be ‘stressful’ for Wolves because he had played a big part in the team’s success this season.

Dean Jones update – Pedro Neto

Jones suggests the international break will come as a “nice window” for Neto to attempt to get himself fit in the coming weeks. The journalist hints the lack of faces at the club’s Compton training complex will inspire him to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation. Asked if Neto could return within three to four weeks, Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“That's a nice optimistic view for fans to hear. This is now a nice window for Neto to focus on that recovery period and use the international break to his benefit. Most people will be away from the training ground. It gives him even more reason to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation during this period. Wolves still miss him, even though they've been doing okay without him. He knows what a vital cog is in this machine. It would be fantastic if they could have him back within a month. That would be a real big boost.”

Pedro Neto transfer news

Despite missing the last two games, Neto still leads the Premier League assists chart this season, providing seven goals to his teammates' totals in the top flight. Unsurprisingly, that run of form has piqued the attention of some of English football’s biggest clubs. According to TEAMtalk, sources say it would take £60m to persuade Wolves to sell Neto during the winter transfer window, with Arsenal and Manchester United credited with an interest.

However, last month, The Telegraph’s John Percy revealed the 23-year-old has told Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs that he intends to remain at Molineux beyond January. This will significantly boost Wolves and O’Neil’s hopes of building on last season’s 13th-placed Premier League finish under Bruno Lage, Steve Davis, and Julen Lopetegui.

Upcoming Wolves fixtures

Having missed Portugal’s final Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Iceland, Neto can focus on regaining full fitness ahead of a busy winter period for Wolves. Wanderers conclude November on their return from the international break with a trip to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham on 27th November.

Neto’s availability for that fixture is unknown. Still, he hopes to play some part in December’s opening fixture away at the Emirates Stadium to take on Premier League title challengers Arsenal.