Rob Edwards received another blow in the 4-1 loss to Manchester United other than the defeat itself – Jean-Ricner Bellegarde hobbled off with an injury.
The Haitian has made himself a mainstay in the new head coach’s starting XI, starting in each of the last three games.
In the build-up to the game, Bellegarde insisted the Wolves players were not scared, and on Monday night, he might have been the only one to live up to those words.
The 27-year-old ended a five-game wait for a goal, but it was not just his finish that made him stand out against the Red Devils.
The wait for a goal is over! After five consecutive games and 9 hours of football, Wolves have finally scored.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was a real bright spark vs Man United
Wolves were timid in attack against Manchester United, and they really struggled to get the ball out of their own half.
That was evident by the 27 shots that the away side managed to take, and 20 of those came from inside Wolves’ box.
The constant pressure by Ruben Amorim’s side often led to the Old Gold passing it backwards in the hope of retaining the ball and not risking a mistake.
However, whenever Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was on the ball, it was the complete opposite.
How good was Jean-Ricner Bellegarde against Manchester United?
Let's hope the injury is not long-term 🙏
At every chance he got, the Haitian looked to bring play up the pitch; he looked to make things happen and was rightfully rewarded for those efforts with his goal.
It was a great finish from the midfielder, and he worked tremendously hard to give the Wanderers a chance at a result.
But in the second half, there was some terrible news for Rob Edwards.
- READ MORE: Wolves player ratings vs Man United as Bellegarde gets a 7/10, Strand Larsen one of three 3/10s
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s injury is a real blow for Rob Edwards
Rob Edwards will be hoping that Bellegarde’s injury is not major, but with the Haitian needing help to hobble off the pitch, it is not a good sign.
Wolves have already been handed a blow with Marshall Munetsi picking up a suspected calf injury, but the Zimbabwean would have been off to AFCON in a few weeks anyway.
Fer Lopez was the man deemed to replace Bellegarde, and with the Spaniard tipped for a loan away from the club, he could have a chance to change that. Fans have been reacting to his appearance against Manchester United.
Someone will need to look at the example the Haitian set, and they must replicate it if the injury is long-term.
The Old Gold need players willing to take risks and be unafraid to try to move the ball into the final third.
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