“There is a lot going on with Jose Sa, It’s an unsettling week, The idea is him and Sam fight it out for the shirt”- Gary O’Neil provides update on Jose Sa as doubts emerges over Wolves future after being left out of squad Vs Nottingham Forest

Jose Sa was omitted from the Wolves team vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday sparking a huge debate on his future. 

Who will occupy the Wolves goalkeeping spot has been a huge debate throughout the summer.
Aaron Ramsdale was thought to be on his way to Wolves before the transfer collapse due to differences in valuations. 

Then, on deadline day, Sam Johnstone joined Wolves from Crystal Palace for £10 million.  Given Johnstone is an England international and the fee surrounding the transfer, there has been debate on where Sa’s future lies. 

For the match against Nottingham Forest, Gary O’Neil opted to start Johnstone and give him his Wolves debut. 

The ‘keeper had a good game and pulled off multiple great saves to keep the score level. However, what was particularly surprising was that not only was Sa not starting but the Portuguese international didn’t even make the bench.

After the match, O’Neil addressed the speculation regarding Sa as well as praised Johnstone for his debut performance.

“A good debut (for Johnstone) and he has not played much recently, it was a good start to his Wolves career,” O’Neil told BBC MOTD.

“It’s an unsettling week, there is a lot going on, Jose Sa had a bit going on.

“I had a big decision around goalkeeping and we decided it was Sam today. But Jose will be back training with the group when he returns from Portugal. The idea is him and Sam fight it out for the shirt.”

While O’Neil clearly wants two first-team goalkeepers fighting it out for the sole spot in the line-up, in reality, it rarely works out.

Many teams have tried it, most notably Arsenal last season, with one of the ‘keepers eventually cementing their spot in the starting XI.

If Sa feels that he can’t get into the side, he may opt to leave in January. However, if he can push Johnstone and they have a competitive rivalry, this could work out for O’Neil and both ‘keepers.