According to journalist Tim Spiers, Wolverhampton Wanderers star man Daniel Podence will not play during their run-in as he fears any playtime could aggravate an injury he is currently carrying.
The midlands team started the season fantastically under new boss Bruno Lage and despite some recent horrible form, losing four of their last five, they still sit eighth in the table and in the fight for the Europa Conference League spot with only four games left to play.
Despite boasting one of the best defences in the Premier League, fourth in the table, they have struggled with scoring goals as their top scorers remain Raul Jimenez and Daniel Podence who only have six in all competitions.
The latter has become a rather important player for Lage’s men this season, making 25 appearances in the league and cementing himself as one of their essential attackers despite competition from new signings Hwang Hee-Chan and Fabio Silva.
However, it has recently been discovered that Podence is unwilling to play for Wolves during this important run of fixtures in their quest for European football despite being cleared to play with the aid of injections.
During a recent appearance on Express and Star Wolves Podcast, Spiers said: “Podence is a bit of a grey area, has an injury & potentially could play through injections, but he’s unwilling at the moment.”
TIF Thoughts on Podence not playing…
Wolves are entering the toughest part of their season as they battle it out for a top-seven finish amidst a run of poor form, so having every able body to help in this mission is key. Missing someone of Podence’s ability at this stage in the season could have a serious negative effect on where they finish.
He will not be an easy man to replace as he is averaging 1.6 shots, 1.4 key passes, 1.4 dribbles, and 1.1 long balls per game with 74.2% pass accuracy. If he was a leader in the team he would play through the pain and get the injections, this is the most important part of the season for Wolves, he should step up.
Should Podence play?Yes
No
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