Wolverhampton Wanderers have been in woeful form this season, recording just two Premier League victories as they languish in the relegation zone.

While the hiatus for the upcoming World Cup might dent the momentum for some teams, Wolves will surely be looking at the break as a chance to regroup and focus ahead of an important second half of the season.

There could be a big Molineux contingent playing at the tournament, with Ruben Neves and Jose Sa having a strong chance of making the Portugal squad given their involvement in recent months. However, it is another Old Gold player who might just be a wildcard for Fernando Santos' squad…

Matheus Nunes could shine at the World Cup

Nunes already has nine caps for Portugal, although his below-par performances in the Premier League this season might go against him, especially when he is up against Otavio, Joao Palhinha and Vitinha for a seat on the plane to Qatar.

The £85k-per-week sensation clearly has talent in abundance, judging by his displays for Sporting Lisbon last season.

He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95 for his performances in Liga Portugal while chipping in with three goals and two assists, demonstrating his attacking ability from the middle of the park.

Wolves swooped in and signed him for a club-record £42.2m in the summer, and although he has found the transition from Portuguese to English football more difficult than imagined, the more experience he gains, the better he will adapt.

The 24-year-old was dubbed “special” by talent scout Pedro Alves during his time at Sporting, while Pepe Guardiola claimed that he was “one of the best players in the world today” after Manchester City faced the Portuguese side last season.

Santos has a plethora of options available to him in the midfield area and Nunes faces a fight to make the 26-man squad. If he does make it to Qatar, the Wolves man can certainly make his mark, and it might just be the tournament which launches him into stardom.