Wolves boss Gary O’Neil insists the club took full precautions over a hamstring issue for Pedro Neto before Saturday’s Premier League match against Fulham.
Neto, 24, was forced off with a hamstring injury one week after also needing to be replaced due to an issue in his hamstring in the side’s defeat at Newcastle.
The Portuguese forward has already missed eight league matches this term with ongoing hamstring problems, although he had steered clear of injuries since the turn of the year.
O’Neil admitted the decision to select Neto against Fulham “backfired” but added that the club had done full due diligence over the player’s condition ahead of the match.
“It’s hard for medical (department),” O’Neil explained after the match at Molineux, which Wolves won 2-1. “They come and speak to me, and I come up here and tell you what they think, but there’s a lot of work that will need to be done to assess why (it happened).
“Pedro had a really good week. He had a scan that was completely clear. No muscle damage at all. He felt really good yesterday in training. Felt good again today. So just really, really disappointed that lands on me eventually, whether the decision to play him today was right or not.”
Neto hobbled off in the win over Fulham with a hamstring injury (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
O’Neil added that he was “hopeful” that the latest setback would not lead to a lengthy absence, but admitted there could only be confirmation following scans.
The Wolves boss confirmed that Neto’s injury was his left hamstring, the same area he had suffered pain in the previous week but the opposite side to the hamstring issue which sidelined the player for two months earlier in the season.
“We didn’t want to risk him off the back of him feeling good and we sent him for a scan, then got a couple of opinions on the scan,” O’Neil added.
“It was deemed perfect. Nothing wrong with the hamstring at all. The medical, scan, radiologists, everyone was telling me he was fine and no reason not to play him.
“If it is my fault, then I obviously apologise to Pedro and the group, because the decision has ultimately backfired.”
Neto had scored one and provided two assists in eight matches since his return to injury. The player missed nearly six months of action last season with an ankle injury, while persistent knee and hamstring injuries have limited his appearances in previous seasons.
(Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images)
