Wolves manager Vitor Pereira revealed why midfielder Mario Lemina was not in the squad to face Newcastle United.
Wolves suffered defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park as Pereira’s side were punished by the Magpies’ clinical attack.
The Old Gold were well beaten by Eddie Howe’s squad, with the result seeing Wolves fall into the Premier League relegation zone.
Hwang Hee-chan had a disaster against Newcastle however, the Korean was not the only player to make the headlines from the fixture.
Vitor Pereira issues Mario Lemina transfer update
After the game, Pereira faced the media to address Wolves’ defeat to Newcastle, one of the league’s most in-form sides.
While the Wolves manager did comment on what happened on the pitch, the Portuguese was also prompted to answer why Mario Lemina did not feature.
The former captain was not in the squad to face Newcastle, despite being deemed fit to play, with Pereira now revealing all.
“I can’t bring a player with me [ Lemina] who comes to me and says I am not mentally ready to play….says ‘I want to leave’,” Pereira said in a staggering admission.
Journalist Nathan Judah shared the boss’ comments from the press conference, as Pereira commented further on the ugly situation.
“I don’t know what happened before me, but with this energy and this mentality, I don’t need him. I prefer to play with another player.”
Pereira urged Lemina to be professional as the midfielder has expressed his desire to leave, with the latest revelation not something that follows the manager’s demands.
Lemina’s Wolves career is over
Lemina has received transfer interest from a range of clubs, including Pereira’s former team Al-Shabab.
What started as speculation has now become fact, as Wolves are ready to part ways with Lemina and seemingly, the player feels the same.
Pereira was brutally honest when commenting on the transfer situation, offering an insight into what is going on behind the scenes with Lemina right now.
After the player’s bust-up at the London Stadium, the 31-year-old has not been the same, seeing his Wolves career end on a rather sour note.