O’Neil also offered a route back into the first-team should the move not materialise despite the midfielder’s decision to go on strike in an attempt to push through the transfer.
“I will expect him back with the group, yeah,” O’Neil told talkSPORT after Wolves’ win over Blackpool in the Carabao Cup. “It’s down to Matheus when he returns so as far as I’m aware nothing has changed in the 90 minutes that I was out there…
“There’s been no improved bid. He’s our player who has four years left on his contract remaining. I don’t like to answer hypothetical questions on if there’s another bid. So the bid that we had was rejected, Matheus is our player.
“I’m hopeful we can get him back in the group. Obviously we need to speak to him because there’s ways you should and shouldn’t deal with things but I’d rather speak to Matheus about that rather than you guys.
“We’ll deal with the situation and we’ll move on.”
“I only want people who are willing to push in the same direction but I’m still confident that Matheus would want to do that,” O’Neil added.
“Let’s see what happens in the next few days but I’m confident that come September 2nd we’ll be in a better place than we are now.”
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