LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 01: Paul Dummett of Newcastle United (03) looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on April 01, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United)
GEORGE LAKIN EXAMINES WOLVES DEFENSIVE DILEMMA
Mosquera Sidelined; Do Wolves need defensive reinforcements? The free agent market may offer a short-term solution, but options are limited.
It looks highly likely Wolves will be without Yerson Mosquera for a considerable period, leading many to now ask: are we in a defensive crisis? Reports suggest Mosquera has suffered an MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury, with possible ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) damage. MCL injuries usually take 6-8 weeks to heal, but if the ACL is involved, recovery could take 6-9 months.
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Mosquera had been one of the bright spots this season, showing great promise especially alongside composed after something of a rash start against Arsenal at The Emirates. The pair seemed to compliment one another, looking -on the whole- well balanced, and they were beginning to form a solid partnership- becoming increasingly accustomed to one another’s games. His absence couldn’t come at a worse time, with Wolves already struggling defensively, having already conceded 13 goals this season— 4 of those from set-pieces—and sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table.
In this time of defensive desperation, the name on many fans’ lips is Joel Matip, released by
Liverpool in the summer and still without a club, he has been touted as a potential free signing- a market Wolves are no strangers to dipping into when the chips are down (Diego Costa anyone?) Sadly, due to the squad’s non-homegrown (HG) restrictions, this is a non-starter until January. Wolves have filled all their non-HG slots, and frustratingly, 2 spots belong to the long-term injured Boubacar Traoré and Sasa Kalajdžić, who are both unlikely to feature until the new year. This was known to the club prior to them being named, meaning you have to question the logic. Matip’s own injury record also poses a risk; he hasn’t played since Liverpool’s victory over Fulham at Anfield in
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early December ‘23 due to a cruciate ligament tear. So there are clear questions about his fitness, and Matip’s wage demands would likely be around £90k a week—on par with Wolves’ top earners like Pablo Sarabia—making this move unlikely, even in January when we could potentially reshuffle our squad to make space for him. All in all -largely due to myriad reasons discussed above- this feels highly unlikely. So, what genuine and much more realistic options remain?
Step forward, Paul Dummett. At 32, Dummett isn’t a flashy name with a big future, but he’s a dependable (and crucially, ‘homegrown’) pro with plenty of Premier League experience. Wolves have named only 7 HG players in a squad of 24; 8 HG in a squad of 25 are allowed. That means we are permitted one more space for a HG player (who can be added at any time.)
