Paul Lambert has expressed his confidence in Jack Price to be a key figure for Wolves for the remainder of the season.
The 24-year-old midfielder was recalled to the side for Saturday’s win at Nottingham Forest, and Lambert has revealed it was only injury concerns which saw him come out of the side after starting the first two games of his Wolves tenure.
“I left Jack out after the Sheffield Wednesday game,” said Lambert.
“I knew actually what had happened with him – he hadn’t featured much before I came in so his fitness levels would have been way down, as well as his conditioning.
“When we’d throw him into two games he felt his hamstring a wee bit.
“He missed a few days’ training and I thought if I kept playing him he was going to tear or pull a muscle.
“I took him out the side and had a chat with him, so there were no problems.
“Romain Saiss came in and we then got a good result against QPR and I thought the team would go again against Fulham and we did well there.
“Cardiff changed it again.
“I think Pricey is now over the (injury) barrier again. I thought he was fantastic on Saturday.
“He’s a terrific lad and great to have about the place - even when he wasn’t playing.
“That’s the type of lad you want to have. And he’s only young.
“Being an ex-midfielder myself, you want him to be the engine and the heartbeat of it.
“He takes the ball on and thought he did great at that on Saturday, always wanting the ball.
“It takes big players to always want the ball.
“Even if they’re having a bad game I don’t want them to shy away from it.
“He was great, and I thought him and Dave Edwards were excellent together.”
Staying on the subject of central midfielders, Lambert is keen to see how Prince Oniangue can adapt to the Sky Bet Championship after returning to action with two appearances for the Under-23s after a lengthy absence through injury.
“Getting 90 minutes is good for him because I don’t think he’s played enough football,” the Head Coach said of Oniangue’s appearance for the Under-23s against West Ham on Monday.
“Prince has good athleticism.
“I think he’s still ring rusty from being out for a bit of time.
“If he adapts more quickly than he has done then that’s important.
“It’s like anything, a new guy in a new league, it’s tough, but in the time I’ve seen him he’s done fine.
“For him he probably doesn’t know the league and he’s been injured."
