Joao Gomes’ absence against Manchester United will be felt, with the Wolves midfielder one of the club’s better players.
Five yellow cards before 19 Premier League games have been played means the Brazilian is suspended against the Red Devils.
Picking up bookings has long been one of the player’s flaws, and since he came to England, no player has more yellow cards than Joao Gomes.
Some fans think the exclusion of Gomes could be a hidden blessing, but based on the data, there is one trait that will be sorely missed.
Joao Gomes is not available to play vs. Manchester United due to suspension. How confident are you of a win without the Brazilian?
Joao Gomes is one of the most active duelers in the Premier League
The absence of Joao Gomes has been further compounded due to the injuries to Marshall Munetsi and Ladislav Krejci.
The former went off injured against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, and Rob Edwards revealed he is thought to have pulled his calf.
For Krejci, there is a chance he features against Manchester United, but he has also missed the last few games for the Old Gold.
The options to replace Joao Gomes are slim, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde seems the most likely option to pair in the middle beside Andre if the Czech is not fit.
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However, no matter who comes in, they will need to replicate the qualities that Joao Gomes offers, as he is one of the best in one area in the Premier League.
Compared to every midfielder in England’s top flight, the Brazilian ranks first for both defensive duels (127) and defensive duels won (74), as per Data.MB.
Additionally, he ranks second for overall duels won (148) and offensive duels won (49), while also being third for possessions won (126).
It is clear that the midfielder is one of the most intense players in his position, and with Rob Edwards looking for that in his squad, that will be a major miss.
The rest of Wolves’ players will have to step up
There are not really any players in the Wolves squad who can replicate that level of duel-winning that Joao Gomes offers, so the output that is missing will need to be spread throughout the whole team.
It will be a tough test, and the return of Matheus Cunha will no doubt be one of the big stories.
Joao Gomes would have helped keep him quiet by intercepting any passes or winning his duels to prevent the Brazilian forward from getting chances.
However, Rob Edwards will have some encouragement with Cunha misfiring this season.
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