Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Nouha Dicko has revealed to the official club website that he is closing in on a return to first team action after missing over a year through injury. The 24-year-old hasn’t featured in a league game since August 2015 because of cruciate knee ligament damage.
The fans’ favourite did make his comeback in the recent Checkatrade Trophy defeat away to Chesterfield for the Under-23 side. He continues to play in the Under-23s until his match fitness is sufficiently improved enough for Walter Zenga to call upon him for the first time.
The former Wigan Athletic forward says that although he is still short on fitness at this stage, he is hoping to continue to get minutes under his belt but isn’t prepared to rush his comeback to the first team, at the risk of ruling him out for a longer period of time,
“I think it’s the right thing for me to be patient and play some more under-23 football. It’s been a year. Sometimes your body doesn’t follow straight away and I need to get used to it.
“So for my confidence etc, I think I need to play some more games here. Obviously I wish I could play now with the first team and hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.
“I’m still not quite there, but I’m improving.As the manager said it’s important to get these things right and not to rush me back into games.
“I’m quite happy with it. Obviously I would like now to play with the first team, but if my body is not ready there’s no point rushing me back for two or three weeks and then pick up a small injury – I really don’t need that.”
Zenga has signed several new players in a short space of time since his appointment as head coach, but with several players still out injured or just returning, such as Dicko, Jordan Graham, Michal Zyro and Mike Williamson, they too will feel like new signings once they are fit to return.
