Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui has insisted that former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Connor Ronan will get an opportunity to stake his claim at the club.
The midfielder has yet to see game-time since Lopetegui was appointed manager of the Premier League side just as the pre-World Cup hiatus began last November following the sacking of Bruno Lage.
Unlike previous seasons, Ronan has not gone out on loan during this campaign. He spent last season at St Mirren which marked his sixth loan spell since breaking through at Wolves in 2016.
But he has made just two first-team appearances since the start of the season. He played just one minute in the Premier League as a substitute against Brighton and just over an hour in the Carabao Cup third round win over Leeds, both in November under then-interim manager Steve Davis.
While Ireland defender Nathan Collins is a fixture in the Wolves back four and Irish Under-21 midfielder Joe Hodge - increasingly a regular in the side - also started against Liverpool in Saturday's 2-2 draw in the FA Cup third round, Ronan was an unused substitute at Anfield.
But Lopetegui has told the Express & Star newspaper that Ronan will be given a chance in the team over the coming weeks.
"Connor is our player and is working to try and show that he's able to be here," said the Spanish coach.
"He's going to have his chance. We have a lot of matches and I am sure he's going to have minutes."
Ronan has received one call-up to the Ireland senior team with Stephen Kenny including the attacking midfielder in the squad for the friendlies against Belgium and Lithuania last March, although he did not go on to feature in either match.
Meanwhile, Wolves have written to Howard Webb to demand an explanation for the VAR controversy at Liverpool.
Lopetegui is still unhappy Wolves were denied victory at Anfield.
They were forced to settle for a replay due to a lack of camera angles for a VAR call when Toti Gomes scored in the second half.
Referee Andy Madeley upheld the offside call against Matheus Nunes and Wolves have sent the club's own footage to Webb – chief of referees' body the PGMOL.
Lopetegui said: "Of course I have seen the images on the internet. I have my opinion, we have sent our comments and we are waiting for an explanation.
"I talked after the match and now we have sent our comments but it’s very clear something has happened.
"It’s important to forget all the Liverpool issues, the injuries and to put the focus on the match (at Nottingham Forest)."
Wolves now go to Forest on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
Lopetegui remains without Pedro Neto (ankle), Boubacar Traore (groin) and Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) with Daniel Podence a doubt.
And the boss feels their clash at the City Ground will present more of a challenge than Anfield.
"I am sure it will be a much harder game than Liverpool and different for different reasons," he said.
"We have to be ready to have different answers but we are fighting for one semi-final (place). We have to be ready to go to the bus thinking and knowing it will be a hard task. We have ambition to overcome a good team.
"They have very good players, I know a lot of them and they have a very good squad. In the Premier League every squad has good players because it’s the best league in the world.
"They are going to be a different team. I’m sure we’ll have a very hard match."
