OPINION
Wolves have been one of the more lucky Premier League sides this season with regards to injuries, but this international break has not been so kind.
Starting left-back Jonny Castro Otto is now set for six weeks on the sidelines after the Spanish FA confirmed on Monday that the 24-year-old has suffered a tear to his LCL ligament in his knee.
The Wolves star, who has been a revelation this season for Nuno Espirito Santo since his arrival on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid, sustained the injury in a 1-0 friendly win over Bosnia on Sunday.
Otto has been an ever-present for Wolves in the Premier League this season, making 12 appearances in the competition, scoring once and assisting once in that time.
His injury now opens the door to another squad member to step up, with the likely replacement to be young Portuguese defender Ruben Vinagre.
Vinagre has had a mixed time of things at Molineux so far, with an initial loan from Monaco last season turning into a permanent deal in the summer despite him making just 14 appearances in all competitions.
This season he has been a rarely-seen member of the Wolves squad, making just six appearances in all competitions, with just two of those being starts.
Vinagre is however very highly-rated among the Wolves hierarchy, and Nuno will no doubt have faith in his young compatriot to get the job done in the coming weeks.
For Vinagre himself this is a massive opportunity to put himself in the frame for a regular starting place in the Premier League, with the 19-year-old flyer likely to play most games during Otto’s lay-off.
In fact, you could quite easily go so far as to say this is the biggest chance of his career so far, with Vinagre having only ever played 19 games of first-team football.
Should he play well in the coming weeks then Nuno will have a big decision to make upon Otto’s return, and that must be Vinagre’s aim starting with their upcoming home clash against Huddersfield on Saturday.