Wolves slipped to a 2-1 defeat against West Ham United yesterday with Gary O’Neil now revealing the extent of Rayan Ait-Nouri’s injury.
Injuries have seriously stacked up against Gary O’Neil recently, prompting several first-team stars to step up.
Wolves have been hurt in attacking sense, going an extended period without Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Hwang Hee-Chan.
Although a few of those players are returning, with Cunha playing another 35 minutes against West Ham on Saturday, Rayan Ait-Nouri continues to shine in gold.
He left fans in awe with a sensational first-half display, dancing through the Hammers’ defence and winning a penalty to get his side ahead.
The 22-year-old has flourished in an attacking role since injuries have hampered O’Neil’s side, but fear struck when he was substituted for Cunha in the 55th minute.
Gary O’Neil shares Rayan Ait-Nouri injury update
Following a run of three goals in five games and winning a penalty for Pablo Sarabia to convert yesterday, it’s become clear that Ait-Nouri’s importance to the side is incredible.
Supporters have seen the best of the Algerian under O’Neil, so watching him get taken off against West Ham due to injury was a sight that struck fear into the Wanderers faithful, especially after their recent nightmare.
Fortunately, O’Neil has revealed via the Wolves official website that he wanted to take him off before his calf pain got any worse.
“He’s got a sore calf. He’s got some pain in his calf and it was a big bow,” O’Neil said. “But we wanted to take him off before it got any worse and hopefully he’ll be ok for next week.”
The closing line will fill fans with confidence that he was taken off as a precaution and he’ll be fit for next week’s away visit to Nottingham Forest.
Wolves must keep Rayan Ait-Nouri in the summer
O’Neil has transformed Ait-Nouri into a different beast. We said earlier on in the season that the Algerian needs to supply an end product to take his game to the next level, and he’s started to deliver on that front.
The Wolves phenom has scored three, assisted twice and won a penalty in his last 10 games. During that period, he’s popped into numerous positions; as a left wing-back, winger and centre-forward.
Ait-Nouri has proven he’s the utility king, with his versatility saving the Wanderers at a time of desperation, propelling his value even higher.
Having already attracted interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, recent form will only place his name even further into the shop window.
However, if Wolves are to progress as a club, they must avoid selling one of their prized assets and instead build around him this summer.