Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Toti Gomes has admitted that he and his teammates are hoping Pedro Neto can return quickly from his injury layoff as soon as possible.
The defender has been speaking to DAZN/Eleven, relayed by Record, regarding his compatriot and his own hopes of getting into the Portuguese national team.
Neto has been the undisputed star of Wolves’ season so far, with one goal and seven assists in ten Premier League games so far establishing him as the key man in the team under Gary O’Neill.
His performances have been earning him rave reviews and potential admirers ahead of the January transfer window, but he now faces an extended spell on the sidelines after limping out of the recent 2-2 draw with Newcastle with an apparent hamstring injury.
It’s the latest in a long line of problems for the 23-year-old, who miss 27 games in 2022/23 with an ankle injury and 52 games in 2020/21 with a knee injury.
Another long spell out would be disastrous for Wolves and Toti admits he and the rest of the squad are hoping that’s not the case.
“I was hoping at the time that the injury wouldn’t be too serious, of course, now we know,” he said.
“I hope he doesn’t stay out for too long, because we all know the impact that he has in the team and his role in the team. He has helped us a lot with assists and goals (plus) his speed throughout the game.”
For Toti, the focus personally is on continuing to build on a solid start to the season for himself and perhaps earn international recognition.
He’s managed seven Premier League appearances so far this season and featured in 46% of the available minutes, establishing himself as a squad member that O’Neill is happy to use.
The hope for him is that continued performances can earn him the attention of Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, with the Wolves man having never played for his country beyond one appearance for the U20’s.
“Every player wants to have that call from their country’s national team,” he added.
“Of course, I’m waiting for my debut, hopefully it will happen soon. But I’m very happy to have received that confidence from coach Roberto.
“I met him when he signed for the National Team. He was talking to the Portuguese players. He came to training to talk to us.
“A few years ago, I only saw them on TV or on PlayStation or something like that, and now I’m there with them training. It’s really good, a moment very good.”
