Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping to put their disappointment at losing to Coventry City in the FA Cup behind them as they return to Premier League action this weekend.
They face Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday evening and the tie promises to be an exciting one. Gary O’Neil will be missing a few players, however, as Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-Chan will both be unavailable for the match this weekend due to injury.
Matheus Cunha, Craig Dawson and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde are also struggling with injuries, but they will be assessed over the next couple of days to see whether they could play a part or not.
Suffering injuries at this stage of the season is unavailable, but O’Neil will be hoping it does not steer the Old Gold off track. The former Bournemouth manager must wish he could call on some of the players he currently has out on loan in order to fill the gaps in his first-team squad.
How Wolves’ players are doing out on loan
O’Neil shipped out a few fringe players during the summer and winter windows on temporary deals for them to gain some much-needed game time.
Daniel Podence is currently shining for Olympiakos this term, scoring 12 goals and chipping in with eight assists for the Greek side this season, indicating that he could have a part to play for Wolves next season.
Fabio Silva has scored four goals during his spell at Glasgow Rangers, while Luke Cundle has impressed in the Championship this term, spending time at both Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City.
Player
Club they are playing for currently
Goncalo Guedes
Villarreal
Daniel Podence
Olympiakos
Fabio Silva
Rangers
Yerson Mosquera
Villarreal
Sasa Kalajdzic
Eintracht Frankfurt
Luke Cundle
Stoke City
Ki-Jana Hoever
Stoke City
Chiquinho
Famalicao
Bendequz Bolla
Servette FC
Joe Hodge
QPR
Chem Campbell
Wycombe Wanderers
Louie Moulden
Northampton Town
These two youngsters could force their way into contention next season, especially if O’Neil gives them a consistent run in the starting XI.
The Old Gold have a plethora of attacking options at their disposal, but it looks as though the English coach needs to invest in some more defenders ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Yerson Mosquera is currently with Villarreal until the end of the season, but there is no doubt the Colombian has what it takes to be a long-term option for O’Neil at the heart of his defence.
Yerson Mosquera’s statistics for Villarreal
When it was clear that first-team football was going to be hard to come by at Wolves, the defender joined the La Liga side on a deal until the end of the season.
"Yerson had a fantastic loan at Cincinnati, being one of the highest performing centre-backs in the league,” said Matt Hobbs, current sporting director at the club.
"What we've seen really excites us for next season. It was a difficult decision, as we could have kept him around, but we wanted him to get a bit more football week in, week out, ready to come back and fight for a starting spot next season."
The move made sense and since arriving in Spain, the youngster has made nine appearances, scoring against Marseille in the Europa League last 16 defeat earlier this month.
Despite only arriving in January, the Colombian currently ranks in the top ten in the squad for accurate passes per game and clearances per game, proving he has already made a positive impact on the team.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed the centre-back as “dominant” back in 2021 when he was making his breakthrough with Atlético Nacional in his homeland.
With Craig Dawson coming to the end of his career, could there be a space for Mosquera in the starting XI next season alongside Toti Gomes?
Toti Gomes’ statistics for Wolves this season
Gomes was another centre-back at the club who was underused prior to O’Neil arriving. This season has seen the Portugease titan become a mainstay in the starting XI, improving with every game.
Not only does he rank third among his teammates for accurate passes per game (38.3), but the 25-year-old also ranks fifth for tackles per game (1.4) and fourth for interceptions per game (0.8), showcasing his defensive abilities in what has been a solid campaign for the Old Gold thus far.
The centre-back has also displayed excellent attacking statistics. When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Gomes currently ranks in the top 4% for assists per game (0.11), the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.81) and the top 8% for progressive passes received per 90 (0.99), indicating his love of taking opposition players on while showing intent in getting into more advanced positions on a regular basis.
These attributes have stood him in good stead so far this season, making 32 appearances for Wolves, scoring once, and grabbing three assists, ensuring he could be a long-term partner for the returning Mosquera.
O'Neil typically utilises a three-man defence which could see the Colombian slot in for Dawson next season, especially as the Englishman will be 34 years old at the start of the campaign.
Last season for FC Cincinnati, Mosquera was outstanding at the heart of their defence. Not only did he win a staggering 7.1 total duels per game – a success rate of 61% – but he also helped his team keep nine clean sheets, made 1.8 tackles per game along with being dribbled past just 0.7 times per match, fully demonstrating his physical strength and defensive nous.
Combine this with Toti’s penchant for moving the ball forward from the back and advancing forward whenever possible, it looks as though O’Neil has an ideal defensive partnership just waiting to be unleashed next season.
While he may like to delve into the transfer market to bring another centre-back into the squad, the return of the 22-year-old from his loan spell could be like a new signing, as the old cliché goes.
There is no doubt he needs a run in the team to see if he can handle Premier League football, but his performances for Villarreal this term suggest that playing in the English top flight shouldn’t faze him in the slightest.
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