Gary O'Neil issues update on latest Wolves injuries

Bellegarde went down with a knee complaint within the opening 10 minutes, before Neto pulled up with a hamstring strain just before half-time.

It now leaves Wolves with Pablo Sarabia as their only remaining senior forward, with Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha also sidelined.

“Bellegarde’s is his knee and it will be a scan,” Gary O’Neil said.

“Pedro’s was his hamstring but I’m not sure the extent of it.

“It’s hard for the medical team. They come and speak to me and then I come and tell you what they think, but there’s a lot of work that will need to be done.

“He (Neto) had a really good week. He had a scan that was completely clear with no muscle damage at all and he felt really good in training.

“I’m really disappointed. It lands on me eventually whether the decision to play him was right or not, so one that I have to accept.

“I’m devastated for Pedro. He’s worked so hard to get back.

“We’re hopeful and the medical team don’t think it’s anything like his first one, but there will be a scan and we’ll get the results and go from there.”

Neto came off at half-time against Newcastle the week before with a tight hamstring on his left leg, but was deemed fit to face Fulham before suffering his injury to the same leg.

Earlier in the season, Neto missed eight weeks with a hamstring injury on his right leg.

Now, O’Neil has expressed some regret at playing Neto, but insists that Wolves did their due diligence before making a decision.

“He came off against Newcastle with a tight hamstring and missed a few days, but then he felt good,” O’Neil added.

“We didn’t want to just risk him off the back of him feeling good, so we sent him for a scan and got a couple of opinions on the scan.

“It was deemed perfect and there was nothing wrong with the hamstring at all.

“I went in on the lads’ day off to work with him on his own on Thursday to see where he was and we did some really good work.

“He seemed OK and was better again on Friday. Everyone was telling me he was fine and there’s no reason not to play him.

“But maybe, with my playing experience, maybe if I had the teamsheet back again now, of course I’m not putting Pedro Neto’s name on it.

“Those are the decisions you have to make as a manager. If that is my fault then I apologise to Pedro and the group that we’ll be without him for a little while.

“But we did do a lot of work on trying to reach the right decision and unfortunately it backfired on us.”

Despite those injury blows, Wolves went on to put in a strong second half performance and secure all three points at Molineux to stay in the hunt for European football.

“It’s an unbelievable win, my favourite I think,” O’Neil said.

“In terms of what we’ve had to deal with our position before the game and our position during the game, to find a way to beat a Fulham team who are in a really good moment.

“They’re so strong depth-wise. They have like-for-like players on their bench, an unbelievable bench, and we’re in a different moment.

“We can be as strong as that, but at this moment we’re not.

“Mentally for the players to lose a couple of attacking players and still be able to find a way to respond means it’s an unbelievable win. I’m delighted.”