Gary O’Neil delivers ‘rare’ Wolves injury update after Arsenal defeat

Gary O’Neil has confirmed Matheus Cunha remains an injury doubt ahead for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ hosting of AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Back in action on Wednesday following a dogged 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, the Old Gold are likely to remain without a number of their key players. Pedro Neto, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Craig Dawson are definitely out, whereas Cunha and Nelson Semedo are outside shouts.

“We’re hopeful, but that doesn’t mean he’ll definitely make it,” O’Neil said of Cunha after the Arsenal loss. “It’s quite a rare calf injury so there’s not too much to go off history-wise of how long it’ll take. But he’s feeling better again.

“Nelson’s feeling better. We won’t take any crazy risks but the next two games are very important for us,” O’Neil continued.

Wolves - to say the least - had a threadbare squad to face the Gunners at the weekend and that’s been the case for much of the season. Merely 10 senior outfield players were available to play the full 90 minutes at the weekend, with five teenagers on the bench spotlighting the issue.

There’s good news for Rayan Ait-Nouri, though. The Algerian is likely to start against Bournemouth after playing 20 minutes off the bench last time out. “I’m pleased Rayan got some minutes, trying to take on the whole Arsenal team! That announced his comeback to the world! It was good to have him back,” O’Neil joked.

“Yeah, you’ll see more, touch wood you’ll see more than 20 minutes of Ait-Nouri against Bournemouth,” the head coach continued. But will he start? “Yeah, probably, probably,” O’Neil admitted to Birmingham World.