Wolves face Manchester United next in the Premier League – and Joao Gomes will not be featuring.
Joao Gomes picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
Gomes needed to make it past Wolves’ 19th fixture of the season in order for the suspension threat to disappear.
Realistically, given the way he plays, that was always going to be unlikely.
So Gomes will not face United, who are understood to admire the midfielder, although transfer reports have died down of late.
Rob Edwards also confirmed an injury for Marshall Munetsi, so the manager has some thinking to do regarding who he’ll pair with Andre.
But Wolves fans have been talking about the Gomes suspension on social media, and some have shared an interesting verdict.
Wolves fans think Joao Gomes suspension could actually be a positive
Gomes is one of Wolves’ best players.
He is also someone who deeply cares about the club, and it’s been that way since he arrived.
However, just lately, some have questioned whether the partnership he and Andre have in midfield actually works.
They’re the best two players in the squad, but some have argued that they actually might be a bit too similar, in that both are mainly about ball-winning and being defensive. Rarely does either of them score or assist – and Andre’s case, he’s never made a goal contribution for Wolves.
Some believe this suspension for Gomes could actually be a blessing in disguise as it forces Edwards to pick a different combination.
@lonewolfie80: “Good news. Forces the manager to not play him and Andre together. Spent last night running around throwing his arms up.”
Joao Gomes’ yellow card vs Nottingham Forest means he is suspended for Wolves’ next game vs Man United 😔
Do Wolves stand any chance at all against United without Gomes?
@MDU_2615: “Lets see how the attacking play looks without him. He tackles well, but his attack and moving forward is lacking.”
@ab7wwfc: “Blessing in disguise potentially, 222 days and counting.”
@chinacomedystu: “Maybe he won’t get in Andre’s way now (and vice versa).”
@kish147: “Some of his yellow cards are due to stupid tackles! Last night proved that him and Andre can’t play together- it stops us breaking quicker.”
@Old__Gold7: “We might make a forward pass then.”
- READ MORE: One winner and three losers from Wolves’ defeat to Nottingham Forest including Joao Gomes
A chance for Rob Edwards to try a new combination
So Gomes can’t feature against United, and given the way he’s been playing lately, it is perhaps not as disastrous as it seems.
Unfortunately he’s been nowhere near his best level this term, so now there’s a chance for someone to stake their claim to play next to Andre.
Ladislav Krejci has missed the last two games through injury, but could be an option to slot in there if he is passed fit.
Or Edwards might go with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who has previously done well as a central midfielder. The Haiti international has the capacity to progress the ball with a dribble, which is not really Andre or Gomes’ game.
It will be intriguing to see how the manager plays it, but there may not be a guarantee that Gomes walks straight back in if his replacement shines.
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