Wolves defender Nelson Semedo ruled out for a month with hamstring injury

Wolves boss Bruno Lage has confirmed defender Nelson Semedo has been ruled out for at least a month due to his hamstring injury.

Portugal right-back Semedo was forced out of the recent Premier League defeat at Arsenal and missed last Sunday’s loss at West Ham.

Lage said: “Nelson’s going to be out for at least one month. Let’s see how he goes, but we have that news for now, one month out.

“I think we saw two Nelsons this season. The first Nelson in the first half of the season, it was inconsistent; second half of the season, last three months, it was what I remember (of him) from Benfica.

“He’s an important player. He did very well, especially in the last three months, he scored a goal, he had some assists and defensively as well I think he improved a lot.”

Semedo, who started out at Benfica and arrived at Molineux from Barcelona for a reported £37million in September 2020, has started in all but three of Wolves’ 26 league games this season.

Lage, whose side’s Champions League hopes have been hit by back-to-back defeats, said Dutchman Ki-Jana Hoever is vying with the fit-again Jonny for the right-back berth in Saturday’s home game against Crystal Palace.

“At the moment we have Ki and we have Jonny to work hard and be fit and play 90 minutes. Ki is a young player with a lot of potential, so I think he is ready to play 90 minutes.”

Lage has no other new injury concerns, but said he did not know whether Pedro Neto is ready to play for the full 90 minutes against Palace.

The Portugal winger returned to action last month for the first time since breaking his kneecap in a 1-0 win at Fulham in April last year.

“I really don’t know,” Lage said. “It’s a question of continuing to train. He’s doing well. We see day-by-day he’s feeling comfortable, but he didn’t have time for a pre-season.

“We have a lot of players coming (back) just in the last month and I cannot select a team with a lot of players who don’t have 90 minutes in their legs.”

Wolves lost three of their five league games in February and trail fourth-placed Manchester United by seven points with a game in hand.

Lage said he would settle for an eighth-placed finish if his side maintained the good form they have shown since December.

“Before December, we had some good and then some bad performances,” he added. “After that, the team has stabilised and we have been good.

“I think eighth would make me happy in the end, but only if we’re playing in the same way.”