Wolves face a difficult decision with wounded Traore
Under the stewardship of Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves winger Adama Traore has become one of the most feared wingers in Europe.
The Spaniard is known for his muscular frame and blistering pace, but in the early stages of his career, he struggled to produce in the final third.
Traore’s feet would often get in a tangle, or he would pick the wrong option with players queuing up in the box.
Spells at Barcelona, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough failed to bring the best out of him, but Traore has found a new lease of life at Molineux.
The 24-year-old has netted seven goals in 77 appearances for the West Midlands outfit and his game has gone to new heights this season.
He has scored four of those goals in the Premier League this season, and with the world, at his feet, he can only continue to improve.
However, Traore’s recent success has not been plain sailing and he is currently nursing a shoulder injury.
The Spain Under-21 international has now dislocated his shoulder on three occasions in 16 months, leaving him as a doubt for Saturday’s home game against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Traore suffered his latest setback during a challenge with Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga in Wolves’ 3-2 win on Sunday, having also suffered the same problem against Spurs in December and Manchester United in January.
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Wolves are hoping to manage the injury, but the L’Hospitalet-born star has a big part to play this season. Nuno’s men are looking to qualify for the Champions League, but they also have a realistic chance of winning the Europa League.
Olympiakos await them in the last 16 and Wolves have no plans to operate. However, the issue needs solving sooner rather than later.
Traore himself is keen to avoid surgery as he tries to secure a place in the Spain reckoning for Euro 2020. But if the problem persists he could find himself out of the squad during the tournament and Wolves have to make a call and quickly.
The speedster may need a rest in the coming weeks, but that could come at a price as his side try to fight on with a small squad.
Nuno and his medical staff have proved themselves adept at managing players back to fitness, with Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty both being eased into the side this season.
With so much football to play at both home and abroad, a fit and firing Traore could be fantastic, especially with the carrot of making the Euros.
However, if the club make the wrong call, it could take some time for him to rediscover his form of the current season.
