Opinion: Midfielder should have left Wolves in January, Thelwell has made a mistake

Morgan Gibbs-White recently returned from a back injury after two months and has been given minutes in the Premier League and FA Cup in recent weeks. Whether sporadic cameo appearances are enough for the 20-year-old’s development remains to be seen, however.

He’s made 12 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring one goal. Before his injury, Gibbs-White frequently started in the Europa League but was only an occasional substitute in the Premier League. He’s racked up only 612 minutes of football, so he wasn’t a regular before November’s injury.

Gibbs-White returned to the matchday squad in mid-January and was an unused substitute in Wolves’ 1-1 draw with Newcastle United (January 11), 3-2 win over Southampton (January 18) and 0-0 draw with Manchester United (February 1).

The midfielder came off the bench in Wolves’ FA Cup defeat to Man Utd (January 15) and their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool (January 23) in the league, but he’s only racked up 22 minutes of playing time. Had Gibbs-White sought out a loan move in January, he could have been a regular elsewhere. Wolves’ sporting director Kevin Thelwell wasn’t keen on letting him go, however.

But with Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss for competition in midfield, Gibbs-White may struggle for playing time in the coming months. The 20-year-old would benefit from first-team football at another club, but he’s now resigned to being on the periphery for the remainder of the campaign.