Mario Lemina refuses to play for Wolves after transfer request as Vitor Pereira hits back after Newcastle United defeat

Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has revealed that Mario Lemina informed him of his unsuitable mental state for the Newcastle clash, which saw Wolves suffer a tough 3-0 loss.

Top performer Alexander Isak scored a double and assisted Anthony Gordon, propelling the Toon to extend their impressive streak.

Notably missing was Lemina, last season's standout player, who had been relieved from captaincy by ex-boss Gary O'Neil after a heated incident at West Ham last month.

Eyebrows raised as the ambitious midfielder, linked with a lucrative Saudi Arabian move, signalled his wish to exit Molineux ahead of the January window opening.

The club reportedly will look for £6 million to release the 31 year old who expressed his eagerness to leave.

Since arriving in December, Pereira has picked Brazilian midfielders Joao Gomes and Andre but considered Lemina up until Wednesday. After the St James' Park ordeal, the Portuguese coach did not mince words: "I cannot bring a player who tells me he is not in the mental condition to help the team," he asserted.

"With this commitment, I cannot bring him.", reports the Mirror.

He added, "If a player comes to me and says 'I'm not in conditions mentally to help the team' this is something that the club must solve. He wants to leave."

The team's manager had strong words regarding one player, saying: "I don't know what happened before me, but with this energy and this mentality, I don't need him. I prefer to play with another player."

Despite the defeat, he expressed his pride in the team's effort: "Proud of my players, we tried to get the result," he said. Highlighting the slim margins in the match, he pointed out: "The difference between one team and the other team, when we had the chance to score we missed and they scored. Against this kind of team one mistake is one goal."

He further explained the team's shortcomings: "When they made mistakes and we had the chance to score we didn't. We try every time to learn with the situations and not allow the counter attacks with this kind of team. We created six clear chances to score, maybe."

Yet, he retained a positive outlook for the future: "We will recover, prepare the next game with the same spirit but increasing the level. The team tried to be compact, it tried to pressure them in the right moments."

And he reiterated his support for the squad: "I am proud of the players, we will recover and think about the next game."