Knee injury rules Wolves winger Zeli Ismail out for six months

The 20-year-old had been on loan at League One Notts County but is now back at Wolves undergoing treatment after having surgery to repair cartilage.

Ismail will be out for between four to six months and is unlikely to play again this season.

"No one wants an injury like this but it is part of football," he said.

"You have to be strong and positive and get through it.

"There will be times when you are feeling low and feeling down but then you have to look on the bright side and at the bigger picture."

Ismail had scored four goals in 16 appearances while out on loan with County.

"I picked up the injury at a time when I was playing and things were going really well both for me and the team," he added.

"We were third in the table at the time and I had managed to chip in with a few goals.

"The decision was whether to trim the cartilage or repair it, and the surgeon has opted to repair it which is the better option in the long term.

"Unfortunately it keeps me out for four to six months, which is pretty much the rest of the season."

Ismail is grateful for the opportunity provided by Notts County, where he settled well and made a good contribution to the team's rise up the table.

"I loved playing there, and any player will tell you he loves playing week-in, week-out," he said.

"I learned a lot from playing regularly, things were going well and I'd like to have think I could have carried that on without the injury.

"We were on a good run and it just kept going and we didn't want it to end."