Steve Davis hopes Matheus Nunes will be able to return to action for Wolves against Leeds United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

The Premier League rivals meet at Molineux in the penultimate outing before top-flight domestic action is put on hold for the World Cup in Qatar. Nunes, a £42m summer signing from Sporting Lisbon, missed last weekend’s defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion with a shoulder problem.

However, Wolves hope that he will be able to make a swift return against Leeds. Davis said: “He was 50/50 in the week but he’s still getting pain in his shoulder so we didn’t want to risk him. I’m hoping he will be fit for either Wednesday or Saturday.”

Diego Costa and Nelson Semedo are both suspended after the pair picked up red cards in recent outings. Costa will serve the second of a three-game ban following a headbutt on Brentford’s Ben Mee at the end of October while Semedo was sent off deep into first-half stoppage time against Brighton.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 23: Steve Davis, the interim manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on in the warm up during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Molineux on October 23, 2022 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Chiquinho, Raul Jimenez, Sasa Kalajdzic and Pedro Neto are all out, with the quartet expected to be sidelined until after the World Cup.

Toti Gomes has not featured for Wolves since the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on October 15. Davis said at the end of October that the player had stepped up his rehabilitation but was unable to put a timescale on his return.

Wolves injury news: Key midfielder could feature against Leeds United but six players missing for Carabao Cup clash