Adama Traore was forced off in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Wednesday, but Nuno Espirito Santo has stated that he has not sustained an injury ahead of his side’s upcoming trip to Southampton.
Wolves lock horns with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men on Saturday, and the hosts have a golden opportunity to draw level on points with their counterparts.
If they are to do so, however, it seems the visitors will still have quality in the final third, with Traore poised to be fit.
The winger gingerly exited the pitch with a knock on Wednesday, but as quoted by Wolves’ official club website, Nuno was quick to allay concerns about his condition, stating that Traore is ‘okay’.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Traore has certainly impressed us this season; his direct running and mazy dribbles in the final third are always easy on the eye.
The winger has added something of an end product to his game this season, amassing four Premier League goals and four assists so far, and he will give Southampton’s back-line some food for thought at the weekend.
Saints will fancy their chances on Saturday – they have won seven of their 10 previous outings – but will know that Wolves possess some high-quality attackers like Traore and Raul Jimenez.
We think that the former Middlesbrough winger will be the man to watch for the away side at St Mary’s. Still, given the recent form of Southampton’s defensive unit, with only two goals conceded in the team’s past five competitive games, Hasenhuttl’s side have every reason to be confident.
