Gary O’Neil could be forced into making a change to his Wolves side against Fulham after hearing one of his first-team stars is a doubt.
Wolves host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon following their disappointing 3-0 defeat against Newcastle United last weekend.
The Wanderers were comfortably beaten by the Magpies and their squad looked very fatigued as first-team stars Hwang Hee-Chan, Matheus Cunha and Joao Gomes were all absent.
Luckily, Gary O’Neil has confirmed that Gomes is fine to return to the squad and is likely to start alongside Mario Lemina with Pedro Neto and Jose Sa joining the Brazilian after doubts were raised on their fitness.
It wasn’t such good news on Craig Dawson, though, with O’Neil confirming that he has a sore groin and may not make it in time to start against the Cottagers.
Craig Dawson could be ruled out of Fulham clash
Since O’Neil arrived at Molineux, Dawson has been a pillar of consistency alongside Max Kilman and Toti Gomes.
The 33-year-old has started in all but two of their Premier League matches this term and has put in some superb performances, particularly in recent weeks.
Dawson, who was captured from West Ham for £3 million in January last year, was praised as “exceptional” for his display in the win over Tottenham Hotspur and followed that up with a domineering performance against Sheffield United.
Despite being prone to making an error defensively, the defender has proven to be an exceptional signing for the Wanderers and will be a big miss if he isn’t fit enough to start against Fulham.
However, his absence from the squad could give Santiago Bueno a deserved place in the starting XI.
Santiago Bueno could start vs Fulham
In a summer plagued by negatives, the £8.5 million acquisition of Bueno from Girona was a rare positive alongside the appointment of O’Neil.
The 25-year-old has only made eight appearances in all competitions due to the form of Dawson, but in the matches he has featured, he’s sent a telling message to the Wolves boss that he deserves to start.
During the 1-0 victory in the FA Cup over Brighton, the Uruguayan was lauded as “immense” for his performance as he slotted effortlessly into the back three.
He put in a near faultless display and asserted his dominance by recording a pass completion of 93%, three clearances and six blocks, with Bueno proving to O’Neil that his patience should be rewarded.
So, if Dawson isn’t deemed fit enough to take his place in the starting XI, the promising defender has shown he’s more than capable of filling his boots.