Vitor Pereira drops key Wolves selection hint ahead of Leicester City, ‘quality’ wonderkid could make his debut

Wolves have secured their Premier League status for another campaign, presenting an opportunity for some talented youngsters to feature.

In Wolves 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, Vitor Pereira’s men mathematically secured their safety in the division following five straight wins.

It’s been an unbelievable period for Pereira, who was praised by Jamie Carragher for the job he’s done since taking over from Gary O’Neil.

Wolves were four points adrift of safety in mid-December, with some even fearing relegation was on the cards, but the Portuguese tactician has worked wonders.

Now, with survival secure and the chance to rest players, Pereira could hand some youngsters their debut, including one talented wonderkid.

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Vitor Pereira talks up Wolves debut for Mateus Mane

One of the brightest young talents coming through the academy at Wolves is forward Mateus Mane, who has seven caps under his belt for the England under-18s.

Mane was included in the Guardian’s next generation list, tipped to have a fantastic future ahead of him, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka once making the cut.

In the defeat to Manchester City under-18s last month, who have one of the best academies in England, head coach Richard Walker felt Mane was the ‘best player’ on the day.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey exclusively revealed to Molineux News that Mane could make his Premier League debut this term, something which has now been confirmed by Pereira himself.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of Wolves clash with Leicester City, the 56-year-old said: “He is a talent and has a lot of quality. I believe he will be part of the future of this club. I want to give him some minutes and we’ll see if that’s possible.”

Mane made a Wolves squad in the defeat to Fulham in February, and has since been on the bench in the last two matches against Tottenham and Manchester United.

But Pereira’s above comments indicate a debut for the 17-year-old could be around the corner, and that is an exciting prospect.

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Mane’s stats for Wolves U18s

Wolves signed Mane from Rochdale last year after he made his Non League debut.

The club clearly knew what a talent the centre-forward was as soon as they watched him, translating such promise across to a Premier League academy.

Mane has almost scored or assisted in each game he’s featured for the under-18s, and should he get a chance in the first team, it will be interesting to see how he conducts himself.