Wolverhampton Wanderers' FA Cup exit on Saturday following a penalty shootout against AFC Bournemouth was a bitter pill to swallow, but that defeat came at the additional cost of losing star striker Matheus Cunha for the immediate future following his red card at Vitality Stadium.
Wolves' top scorer Cunha, who has netted 13 goals in 26 Premier League appearances this season, was shown a straight red by referee Sam Barrott after clashing with AFC Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, but he refused to leave the field and needed to be escorted off the pitch and then down the tunnel.
Cunha's dismissal was for violent conduct, so if the usual three-match ban for such sendings-off is applied by The FA, he is set to miss Wolves' next three Premier League matches.
Matches Cunha is set to miss
Cunha's absence is a huge blow for a Wolves side only five points clear of third-bottom Ipswich Town and second-bottom Leicester City, and who are set to face two of the teams immediately above them in the table - Everton and West Ham United - in their next three matches.
The 25-year-old's suspension could not come at a worse time for Vitor Pereira's side as Wolves try to refocus on their relegation battle, starting with Saturday night's home encounter against a rejuvenated Everton side.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |
West Ham
WHU
|
27 | -15 | 33 |
| 16 |
Everton
EVE
|
27 | -4 | 32 |
| 17 |
Wolves
WOL
|
27 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 |
Ipswich
IPS
|
27 | -31 | 17 |
| 19 |
Leicester
LEI
|
27 | -36 | 17 |
| 20 |
Southampton
SOU
|
27 | -46 | 9 |
Why will Wolves miss Cunha?
Goals have been hard to come by this season. Wolves have scored 37 times, with Cunha involved in a club-high 17 of those (13 goals, four assists) - nearly twice as many as his nearest team-mate, Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has nine goal involvements (seven goals, two assists).
Cunha has averaged over twice as many shots (including blocks) as any team-mate, with his total of 86 ahead of Strand Larsen's 36.
The Brazil star is clearly Wolves' most potent attacking threat and he also tops their charts for chances created, shots on target and chances created from open play.
Cunha's attacking stats in PL 24/25
| Stat | Total | Club ranking |
| Goals + assists | 17 | 1st |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 13 | 1st |
| Assists | 4 | =2nd |
| Total shots (inc. blocks) | 86 | 1st |
| Chances created (inc. assists) | 44 | 1st |
| Shots on target | 35 | 1st |
| Chances created open play | 34 | 1st |
Who are the possible replacements?
Cunha looked to have hit scoring form at the perfect time for Wolves, with a run of five goals in his last six appearances across all competitions.
His absence leaves Pereira with a selection headache in terms of who to bring in in place of his key attacker, although the head coach did indicate that Cunha had been playing through the pain barrier to help his side.
"The last three weeks, he has had a problem in the hamstring, and he tried, of course," said Pereira.
"The emotional side was very high, not only inside the pitch, but on the bench, in the stands, everywhere there was a lot of pressure.
"In the next games we’ll be without a player that is important for us. But, in the end, we’ll start the next game against Everton with 11 [players]."
Pereira's options appear fairly limited. Goncalo Guedes is currently ruled out with a knee injury, leaving Strand Larsen and Hwang Hee-chan as the main alternatives.
However, Strand Larsen is himself coming back from injury and was only due to play for 70 minutes at Bournemouth but played the full match including extra-time.
Meanwhile, Hwang was an unused substitute on Saturday and has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury in the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Blackburn Rovers on 9 February.
