Wolverhampton Wanderers didn’t need a sluggish start after losing Julen Lopetegui just before the season began and after earlier losing Ruben Neves, Adama Traore, and Matheus Nunes. But that’s precisely what they’ve had to put up with under Gary O’Neil.
The Midlands club has, in all honesty, had some bad moments. They were denied a late penalty against Manchester United and soon after received an apology for the incident, before getting destroyed by Brighton & Hove Albion and finally getting off to a winning start with a victory over Everton.
Defeats against Crystal Palace and Liverpool have since followed, but Wolves can once again look back on their performances with great content, particularly when against the Reds, having taken the lead and largely dominated the first 45 minutes.
Following a game of two halves against Liverpool, however, those at Wolves at least received a much-needed injury boost, as confirmed by O’Neil.
What has Gary O’Neil said?
Watching on as his side eventually collapsed amid the Liverpool pressure, O’Neil would have been left frustrated by his side, who did so well to take a 1-0 lead into the break. Alas, it simply wasn’t meant to be, and Wolves, in defeat, may have hoped to avoid any further blows. When Rayan Ait-Nouri was forced off through injury, however, it looked as though the Midlands club were set to get exactly that.
Since then, O’Neil has allayed any worries, stating, via Molinuex News: “Rayan’s ailment was basically just muscle 0. He shouldn’t encounter any issues, in my opinion. He probably just needs a few days to heal, but we won’t know until the following weekend.
Given how crucial it is for him to have a full roster available when the Premier League fixtures start coming thick and fast, the former Bournemouth manager will be relieved. Wolves’ match against Luton Town is the following match, and they will be the favorites to win all three points.