Wolves face the possibility of having Matheus Cunha unavailable for their opening Premier League fixture against Arsenal.
The new Premier League season is now just a couple of weeks away, and Wanderers look to be heading into the campaign in a good way.
The new signings have all made good impressions in Marbella and the US, and Gary O’Neil has overseen a few good victories.
The win over West Ham was particularly impressive.
But unfortunately, there was one negative for Wolves from that game, and that was Matheus Cunha picking up a hamstring injury.
O’Neil has said that he is hopeful the Brazilian won’t be out for too long, but added that they ‘do have to manage it carefully’.
There is a chance Cunha might not be fit to play, which would obviously be a big blow.
The attack Gary O’Neil should deploy against Arsenal if Matheus Cunha can’t play
Cunha not being fit to play against Arsenal would be far from ideal.
The Brazilian showed last season what an influential player he has become for Wolves, especially since he started working under O’Neil.
Cunha contributed 22 goal involvements last term across all competitions, and his absence was keenly felt when he got a hamstring injury in the second half of last season.
But that all said, O’Neil has some real talent in that squad.
It is likely that Jorgen Strand Larsen will be leading the line in that first game of the season, with the Norwegian having impressed his manager in pre-season.
To his left and right could be Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto. Hwang is no stranger to playing on the left side, and would be a perfect option in the event of no Cunha.
O’Neil gave a positive update on Neto’s future this week and it feels as though there is a good chance he’ll at least be starting the season as a Wolves player. However, he’s joined up with the squad late and could be lacking a bit of sharpness, meaning we could be seeing Pablo Sarabia on that right side in the first game.
Then it’s about who could play as an attacking midfielder.
O’Neil said recently that Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has given himself a great chance of playing against Arsenal, so he might be the man chosen to play in the number 10 role.
An attacking quartet of Strand Larsen, Hwang, Sarabia and Bellegarde certainly has the potential to do some harm in that opening fixture.
Bellegarde or Sarabia should play in Cunha’s position
Cunha has been operating mostly as a number 10 in pre-season, and Bellegarde and Sarabia are probably the best bets to replace him against Arsenal if he cannot play.
There is also scope for Tommy Doyle to perhaps come in and play as an advanced midfielder.
But Bellegarde has the capacity to play further forward, as he did a lot for Strasbourg. Like Cunha, he also has a good ball-carrying ability, which could make him useful in that role.
The fact he is mobile could make him a good complement for Strand Larsen leading the line. Alternatively, Sarabia could be a good bet with his creativity, with Bellegarde to play on the right (if Neto is lacking sharpness).
We will see what O’Neil decides to do. But in an ideal world, Cunha will manage to recover in time for the game.