Wolves defender Jonny Otto was exiled from the squad for ‘swinging an elbow at a player, destroying the players’ room and SPITTING at a coach’ as he’s forced to train away from the first team
Wolves defender Jonny Otto was reportedly banned from the first team after swinging an elbow at an U21 player.
Jonny has not played for his club since the end of September and appears unlikely to do so again after a training ground brawl which also saw him allegedly damaging players' belongings and spitting at a member of the coaching staff.
The player Jonny is said to have clashed with is striker Tawanda Chirewa, who joined from Ipswich in 2019. He has scored two goals in three Premier League 2 games this season and has been on the bench for Wolves in the last three games.
Wolves confirmed last week that Jonny would train away with the Wolves first team until the end of January, with many believing all parties would try to secure a move for the Spaniard within the transfer window.
And so it turns out, after a report from The Athleticsthat the reasons why are now clear.
Wolves' Jonny Otto was left out of the squad after swinging an elbow at an U21 player, according to a report
News that Jonny had been banned from the squad surfaced last week, but it was unclear why
The incident is said to have taken place on the training ground, with Jonny being sent home after destroying items in the players' room
It is believed Jonny attacked Chirewa during a clash during training at Compton Park.
He then allegedly spat at a member of the coaching staff who tried to pull him away from the collision, and then damaged items in the players' room.
It is said Jonny was angered by a challenge from Chirewa in training ahead of Wolves' 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates on December 2. He is not said to have made contact with the attempted elbow.
Chirewa is believed to have ended the session, although Jonny was ordered to leave the pitch and enter the training ground buildings, where he smashed a TV and damaged a table before being sent home.
It is said that Jonny was unhappy with a challenge from Tawanda Chirewa (front) and lunged at the forward
Jonny has since apologized for the incident and has been allowed to compete in youth team matches.
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs has explained to Jonny how the future has been outlined and how the club wants to move forward.
“I sat down with him, he apologized and we outlined the path forward,” Hobbs said. “We have had a discussion and agreed that he will not be part of the first-team squad until the end of January at least.
'He will still train with the club and if he wants he can play for the Under-21s to maintain his match sharpness. I think, knowing him, he probably will too.
“This is a man who has been a great servant to the football club. One incident does not define the role he played during the successful times and the man he is every day around the world.
'Everyone has moments and that's it, but we have to deal with it and move on for the wider group.
“It may seem big because someone has been removed from the group, but it's not,” Hobbs said.
“When you're trying to create a culture and keep everything aligned, sometimes things happen that are not what you want to be and where we want to be.
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said Jonny has been a great servant to the club and has apologized
Hobbs said manager Gary O'Neil (pictured) did not have to deal with the situation and can concentrate on his team
Manager Gary O'Neil addressed the news last week and hinted that Jonny, who has made 134 appearances for Wolves since 2018, could return to the first-team squad.
However, according to Hobbs, the matter is something beyond the manager's control.
“Now it's settled,” Hobbs added. It's not something Gary has had to deal with. We have dealt with it as a football club and given Gary the opportunity to focus on getting the team ready for the important games coming up.
“It makes sense to discuss it until then because a lot of things could change between now and then, and then we'll sit down, talk again and decide the way forward.
“December is a busy month with a lot of points to play for and a lot of games that we think we can be really competitive in. That should always be the focus.'