Wolves have stripped midfielder Mario Lemina of the captain's armband following an on-pitch brawl at the end of their defeat to West Ham on Monday night.
Lemina (31 years old) clashed with Jarrod Bowen when the duo went to shake hands with them, as tensions escalated after West Ham’s 2-1 victory at the London Stadium.
Lemina apologized earlier in the week but coach Gary O'Neill revealed that Nelson Semedo will captain the club going forward, starting with Saturday's crucial clash with Ipswich.
“The discussions with Mario were good,” O’Neill said in his pre-match press conference. “We get along very well.
“It's been a big part of what we've been able to do here and we have a great deal of respect for each other. Sometimes, you can come out of these discussions in a really good place, and I think we did that.”
“I have a lot of respect for Mario and what he will still be able to do for us.
“When we get the best out of him on the pitch, his level is very high and he will continue to play a big role for us which he is very keen to do.
“He will still be in the top group leading the team, but at this moment we feel it is better for Nelson to lead the group.
“The most important thing is to get the best out of everyone – getting the best out of Mario Lemina week after week, and it's the same for Nelson and the rest of the group.
“We dealt with it earlier in the week and the focus since then has been just on Ipswich, getting Mario ready, Nelson being fit and the rest of the players being fit.”
Joao Gomez will miss the match due to suspension, while Jose Sa and Pablo Sarabia will remain absent, in addition to long-term absentees Yersun Mosquera, Sasa Kalajidzic, Enzo Gonzalez and Bouba Traoré.
