Wolves face Fulham on Monday evening as Premier League football returns, however, one ever-present star won’t be in action.
Wolves are heading into the Christmas period sitting comfortably midtable after a strong run of form over the past six games.
The most impressive display of the season for Wolves came last time out against Spurs at Molineux.
Gary O’Neil‘s side were looking defeat in the face before two dramatically late goals put Ange Postecoglou’s team behind and handed Wolves all three points.
But in the win, £45k-a-week star Craig Dawson saw his fifth yellow of the season which will see him miss the trip to Craven Cottage.
Dawson is a big miss for Wolves
Writing in an article for Express and Star, Steve Bull labelled the suspension of Dawson as a ‘big miss’.
Dawson has played and started 12 of 12 Premier League games so far this season, being pivotal toward the recent run of form.
The defender has averaged a 7.08 out of 10 according to SofaScore this season which represents he has been well above average for Wolves.
Dawson has been quietly one of the league’s most impressive defenders and has averaged 11.4 defensive actions per game.
On the ball, he has also been impressive, with an 87% pass completion rate along with having an average of 61.2 touches per game.
Who could start in place of Dawson
The way we see it, O’Neil has a few options to cope with the absence of 33-year-old Dawson.
The first option would allow Wolves to continue with a three-at-the-back set-up. This would also possibly see Santiago Bueno slot in to make his first Premier League start for Old Gold since joining from Girona.
The second option would require a slight system change, a switch to a back-four. This option would allow Wolves to field an extra man in central midfield.
Either option is probably a downgrade on Dawson given how solid he’s been this season, but it could also represent a chance for a new star to be born for Wolves.