Wolves have received a potentially major boost ahead of tomorrow night’s clash with Brentford, with Mario Lemina now back with the squad.
Lemina has missed the last two games for Wanderers, having been on compassionate leave following the passing of his father.
Lemina recently revealed that his father had been in hospital and on the morning of the game with Everton (December 30), Wolves shared the sad news of his passing.
Lemina has been in France with his family, with O’Neil allowing the star all the time he needs to grieve.
Wolves are back in action tomorrow night against Brentford in the FA Cup third-round replay, and O’Neil has said today that Lemina is in contention to play…
Mario Lemina might feature for Wolves against Brentford after returning to squad
There had obviously been no word on a return date for Lemina, as every person is different when it comes to compassionate leave.
Today though, O’Neil informed reporters at his press conference that Lemina has now returned to training with the squad.
He did not join up with the squad in Abu Dhabi for warm weather training, but O’Neil has said the Gabon international trained for the first time today at Compton Park.
He said (via Express & Star): “Lemina is back with the group today and it’s good to see him. The lads are pleased to have him back and we have an important run coming up.
“It was important that Mario was able to take the time that he needed, but now it’s really important we have Mario the person back around the place and Mario the footballer back around the team. It’ll be a huge lift with us.
“We need to see where he’s physically because he’s had a few weeks off, but we’re hopeful he’ll be involved tomorrow.”
Lemina return huge for Wolves
Perhaps Lemina may not play a full game tomorrow and that would be totally understandable, but it’s undoubtedly a huge boost for Wolves that he’s now back with the squad.
Lemina – who joined the club a year ago yesterday – has shown pretty much since he arrived at the club what a crucial player he is for the team and also the dressing room.
The dynamo is a fantastic ball-winner and just has so much energy in the midfield, and O’Neil’s team is undoubtedly better with the £45,000-a-week star in it.
Hopefully, the 30-year-old is feeling OK amid the awful time he is going through right now. One thing is for sure, the pack – the manager, the players, the fans and everyone connected with Wolves – will support him as long as he needs it. The public show of support from the Wolves players, as they helped Lemina’s number five shirt aloft when they scored goals against Everton, is proof of that.