Mario Lemina: Wolves midfielder will not play until transfer window closes – Vitor Pereira

Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina will not play for the club while the January transfer window is open, says boss Vitor Pereira.

Lemina, 31, wants to leave the club and asked not to play in their 3-0 defeat at Newcastle last Wednesday.

The Gabon international has since apologised to Pereira and the rest of the playing squad and said he is “ready to do his best for the team” until a solution is found.

Wolves – 17th in the Premier League – want £5m for Lemina, who joined from Southampton two years ago.

Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab have asked to sign him on a free transfer, but Wolves are not willing to entertain that.

Speaking after their 3-1 defeat at Chelsea on Monday, Pereira said: “For me, he is out until the end of the market and when the market closes, I will see if he is my player.

“If he is it will be a problem I solve because he is a good player, or he goes out and is not my problem.

“I don’t want a player with doubts. I cannot play with a player that has doubts in his mind. I want players committed with the project.

“He is training but at the moment the mind is not here because he still wants to move and go. I must be honest and say what happened. I will wait until the end of the market and see.”

The transfer window is due to close at 23:00 GMT on Monday, 3 February, with Wolves hosting Arsenal and Aston Villa before then.