Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui has backed Republic of Ireland U-21 midfielder Joe Hodge to "grow and improve" following his penalty miss in Wednesday night's Carabao Cup quarter-final loss at Nottingham Forest.
Ruben Neves and Hodge missed their spot-kicks as Forest emerged 4-3 winners in a shootout after it had ended 1-1 in normal time.
It was a bitter pill for 20-year-old Hodge to swallow, but his progress under Lopetegui has been excellent. Hodge is starting to show his full potential, with his club boss confident this will merely be a slight setback.
"I want to highlight his commitment and character," Lopetegui told the club website. "But this is done and the players that doesn't score the penalties are never at fault, but he wanted to take a penalty and show his character and this is all. He's going to grow and improve from this, for sure.
"I want to highlight the fight of the players again, because we have played three matches away from Wolverhampton and we haven't lost, but we haven't won. We need to win, above all today because it was a key match to continue ahead and we have a big vision to ahead.
"We have fought a lot and it’s a pity for our fans because they are here and offering a big support for us, so it was a pity for all of us, but above all, for them."
There were ugly scenes at the end with a mass brawl between the two sides as bad blood boiled over.
Former Wolves forward Morgan Gibbs-White, who celebrated in front of the away end when his side won, was at the forefront of it, clashing with a number of his former team-mates.
Stewards had to intervene and both clubs are sure to be in hot water with the Football Association.
Forest manager Steve Cooper did not want to comment on the incident.
"I am not going to deny there wasn't one because there was but why it happened and how it happened and what happened, if I speak about it I wouldn't be completely clear because I don't know," he said.
"So I shouldn't really say anything."
The biggest dampener of the night for Forest is that on-loan Henderson will be ineligible for the two-legged last-four tie against his parent club Manchester United, unless the Red Devils give written permission for him to play.
That appears unlikely after this display as Forest made it through to the semi-final of a competition where they hold special memories, having won it four times.
"I have only just thought of that, it is frustrating," Cooper said of Henderson's ineligibility.
"After seeing the night he had tonight, he was excellent in the penalty shoot-out but he was good in the game, more than good in the game.
"It's unfortunate. He's part of our group, he is so invested in the group and how we work, what we're trying to accelerate in terms of what we want to become.
"To do that you need a really good goalkeeper. Not only is he committing as a goalkeeper, he is buying into being in the city and the greater good of the club.
"It has put a dampener on it for me tonight."
Additional reporting: PA
