Wolves were dealt a huge blow after week five of the Premier League season, losing Yerson Mosquera to injury.
The Colombian centre-back was forced to withdraw late on against Aston Villa, being stretchered off the pitch at Villa Park in great discomfort.
Gary O’Neil was quick to share that the injury didn’t look good, with Wolves’ greatest fears being realised soon after the defeat.
The club confirmed that Mosquera suffered an ACL and MCL injury against Villa, which is likely to see him miss the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.
It’s a tragic reality for the defender who started each of Wolves’ Premier League games on his return after loan spells, giving O’Neil a significant issue to resolve at the back.
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Expert calls on Gary O’Neil to utilise Andre in Wolves’ defence
Losing a player so early into the campaign is a nightmare for O’Neil, with a greater problem arising from Mosquera’s pending absence.
The manager now has just three centre-backs to work with in Santi Bueno, Craig Dawson and Toti Gomes.
It’s another instance of Wolves’ depth being far too short, with the need to have signed a central defender in the summer now paramount.
The Old Gold did welcome eight new faces to Molineux during the transfer window, with one signing having the potential to actually help O’Neil to cover his defensive shortages.
Speaking to Molineux News, Brazilian journalist Rogerio Amaral Junior backed deadline day arrival Andre to fill the void left by Mosquera.
“Andre is quite used to playing as a defender,” the expert, who has followed Andre’s career, explained.
“At Fluminense, he was used a lot in this position to improve the team’s passing quality, furthermore, he has a great sense of positioning and high combativity.”
Wolves signed Andre to bolster their quality in midfield, with the 23-year-old already proving to have been an impressive acquisition, with his importance having the potential to become even greater.
“Perhaps the downside is his height,” Junior added when describing Andre’s suitability to play in defence.
“He is short for this position. In my opinion, he is almost as good a defender as he is a midfielder.”
Andre has the skill set to adapt to a range of positions
So far, Wolves have seen why Andre was signed on deadline day, with the Brazilian showing a level of composure in midfield that very few players possess.
Journalist Liam Keen explained why Andre is more polished than Joao Gomes, seeing the former Fluminense star earn high praise early into his Wolves career.
There seem to be little boundaries to where Andre’s skill set can take him, making Junior’s admission about the summer signing perhaps unsurprising.
The Brazilian football expert even shared that the 23-year-old is capable of playing in advanced positions, touching on his early days at Fluminense.
“Interestingly, he arrived at Fluminense as a striker. That was when he was around 13 years old, but then the coaches started placing him more and more as a defensive player.”
Given the lack of depth in Wolves’ squad in a range of positions, O’Neil will be delighted to learn of just how adaptable Andre can be when required, with the Brazil international adding another body to the defence at a time of need.