Joao Gomes set for Wolves debut as Hwang Hee-Chan out for weeks
Julen Lopetegui is set to throw Joao Gomes into action for the first time at Southampton – but Hwang Hee-Chan is likely to be out for four to five weeks.
The Brazilian signed for Wolves at the end of January for a fee of £15 million, but has been building up his fitness having last featured for Flamengo last November.
Lopetegui said Gomes is ‘improving’ and is ‘very close’ to joining up with the squad ahead of their trip to St Mary's.
"He is better, he is getting used to playing here with different weather and different environment," said the Wolves boss.
"But he is improving step by step and I think he is very close to being ready to start playing with us."
The boss also provided an update on the fitness of Hwang, the forward has improved since Lopetegui took over almost three months ago, but picked up a hamstring injury during Wolves’ brilliant 3-0 win over Liverpool last weekend.
"I don’t know it depends, each player’s recovery is different, I don’t know but four or five weeks we might have to wait for him.”
Meanwhile, Pedro Neto could also be in line for a return to the matchday squad.
The Portuguese attacker has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury against West Ham in October that required surgery.
It continued a bad run of injuries for Neto, which also saw him miss ten months of action from April 2021 until February 2022 because of a fractured kneecap.
"He is step-by-step much better of course, but he has been out for some months so we have to be careful with him," added Lopetegui.
"But now he is ready to help us, today we are going to review and then after we are going to make the squad list because we have many problems."
Meanwhile, Boubacar Traore is also closing in on a return to action, he is expected to rejoin the squad within two weeks.
