Wolves climbed out of the relegation zone with an outstanding 4-1 thrashing of Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
Wolves fans were fearing the worst at kick-off as the absence of Santi Bueno and Craig Dawson from the matchday squad saw Mario Lemina partner Toti Gomes in a back four.
It had recipe disaster written all over it but credit to Gary O’Neil, he made a difficult situation work and his side stunned Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva’s men did initially take the lead through Alex Iwobi but a stunning Matheus Cunha lob got Wolves back on level terms before the visitors ran riot in the second half.
Joao Gomes scored his second goal of the season, Cunha produced an incredible strike past Bernd Leno and then substitute Goncalo Guedes added the icing on the cake with a fourth.
Wolves securing a 4-1 victory over Fulham was magnificent and O’Neil has now explained why some of his key players were absent.
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Gary O’Neil explains Pablo Sarabia and Santi Bueno’s absence
Heading into the game, O’Neil offered a promising injury update on Bueno, who was set to travel with the squad for the match.
Bueno injured his groin on national duty with Uruguay and returned to Compton with question marks hanging over his head.
Once the team sheet was named, Wolves fans saw the 26-year-old was absent but he wasn’t the only one as Pablo Sarabia and Dawson weren’t among the starting XI or substitutes.
Journalist Nathan Judah revealed Dawson was ill before kick-off while O’Neil confirmed that Sarabia had a thigh problem, prompting him to miss the game.
“Santiago Bueno was touch & go today, he could have played at a push. Expect Dawson, Bueno & Sarabia (calf) to be available for Bournemouth,” O’Neil said via X.
O’Neil needs to stick with a winning formula
Although it’s good news that Bueno, Dawson and Sarabia should be back for the clash against Bournemouth, O’Neil should be half-tempted to stick with a winning team.
Brazilian international Andre excelled alongside Gomes in midfield while Lemina slotted in at centre-back like a glove, producing an all-round complete display, including the exquisite pass for Cunha’s goal.
It would also be unfair to drop some of the players who performed well in tough circumstances, most notably Rodrigo Gomes and Andre – a pairing who previously struggled to nail down a starting spot.
For once, O’Neil has been handed a selection headache this term, and no one can complain if he starts with the same team next weekend, although it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sarabia, Dawson and Bueno all return.