According to a recent report by Birmingham Live, Wolverhampton Wanderers have suffered an injury blow ahead of their UEFA Europa League playoffs first-leg encounter against Torino. Matt Doherty limped off with an injury in the first half of Wolves’ league clash against Manchester United last night which has made him a major doubt for the Torino game.
Wolves Face A Major Selection Dilemma In Matt Doherty’s Absence
Adama Traore came on to replace Doherty at half-time which changed the dynamic of the game as the home side managed to come back and earn a point against the Red Devils on Monday night. Nuno Espirito Santo will now, however, be sweating on the fitness of the Irish wing-back.
If Doherty misses out on the European clash on Thursday night, it could prove to be a hammer blow for the West Midlands outfit as they are in short in numbers in that position.
Nuno Santo could choose to play Traore again as a wing-back, but that decision would leave Wolves exposed at the back. Another option would be to deploy Jonny Castro or Ruben Vinagre on that side, but that might end up hampering the balance of Nuno Santo’s team.
Doherty’s Excellent Form At The Molineux Stadium Last Season
Doherty was an integral member of the Wolves first-team in the previous campaign. The Republic of Ireland international enjoyed the best spell of his playing career after he put in some impressive displays for Wolves down the right flank last season. The Dublin-born talent featured in 45 matches for the West Midlands outfit in the previous term, scoring eight goals while grabbing ten assists across all competitions.
On the defensive end, Doherty made an average of 1.8 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 2.2 clearances per match during the 2018-19 Premier League campaign (stats via whoscored). He has also secured five international caps for his nation so far.
Doherty’s Unavailability: Huge Blow For Nuno Santo?
Doherty’s latest injury setback will undeniably be a massive blow for Nuno Santo and his side’s chances of earning a positive result at the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium. The Wolves supporters will hope that the Irish defender can make a speedy recovery so that he can start helping their beloved club win some matches in the coming months.
