Wolves manager Gary O'Neil expressed admiration for Mario Lemina following a comfortable 3-0 victory against Everton.
The 30-year-old Gabonese player was not included in the team for the encounter due to the passing of his father on Friday.
Max Kilman triumphantly raised Lemina's shirt after skillfully scoring the first goal at Molineux, followed by Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawson securing a decisive victory in the second half.
Following the victory, O'Neil set aside football and expressed admiration for the dynamic midfielder, who has achieved four goals in the Premier League this season.
The manager of the Wolves stated:"We're all enjoying today, and then when you're asked about Mario, you get a sense of reality.
"We're here smiling, and Mario is going through a really tough time. All our thoughts are with him.
"He was the first thing we spoke about afterward. He is incredibly important to the team on the pitch and as a group around the place.
"There's huge respect from the group for what he does. There's no way we would be anywhere near 28 points without him.
"I'm 100% serious when I say he can have as long as he needs. He has our full support and I hope him and his family can find some peace over the next few days."
Everton's defeat was their third on the bounce while O'Neil's men have won three successive Premier League games for the first time since January 2022.
And the latest result is the Wanderers boss' prized display of his side's 2023-24 Premier League season so far.
O'Neil added: "It was my favourite performance so far, it was as close to complete as we've had.
"Three games in six days is tough, but I'm delighted with the levels the lads managed to reach."
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