Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly hopeful that Pedro Neto will miss no more than two months of action with a hamstring injury.
The winger has been one of the star players of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, contributing one goal and seven assists from just 10 appearances.
Neto's most recent assist came in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle United on Saturday evening, with his outswinging corner finding the head of Mario Lemina who scored his first goal for the club.
However, during the final quarter, the Portugal international went down clutching his hamstring, leading to the playmaker being stretchered off and visibly distraught.
After the game, head coach Gary O'Neil indicated that Neto had been walking about in the changing room and that he was optimistic about the grading of the hamstring injury.
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Furthermore, the 23-year-old has also taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, since the injury and suggested that he would be sidelined for 'a couple of weeks'.
According to the Daily Mail, though, Neto faces the possibility of in excess of a month in the treatment room.
The report claims that Wolves are hoping to have Neto available again before the end of 2023, ideally ahead of the hectic Christmas schedule.
In the short term, Neto is certain to miss the upcoming encounters with Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.
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Wolves also make the trip to Fulham before the end of November, but they face Arsenal, Burnley and Nottingham Forest in the opening nine days of December.
As it stands, it appears highly likely that Neto will also be absent for those matches, but Wolves then play just once in over two weeks; a trip to West Ham United on December 17.
With the showdown with Chelsea now taking place on Christmas Eve, a total of eight weeks and one day would have passed from Neto sustaining his injury to that clash with the West Londoners.
Neto allegedly remains as a transfer target for high-profile clubs, yet his latest fitness blow lowers the chances of any notable bids being made at the midway point of the campaign.
Last week, Neto also revealed that he has no intention of pushing for a transfer away from Molineux for the foreseeable future.
Darren Plant
