Wolverhampton Wanderers could be without Ruben Vinagre in Thursday’s Europa League meeting with Espanyol. The 20-year-old has been out of action with a hamstring injury since mid-January, most recently missing Wolves’ 0-0 draw with Leicester City (February 14), and hasn’t yet returned to training.
Nuno Espirito Santo made no suggestion in last week’s pre-match press conference that Vinagre was on the recovery trail, so it’s unlikely he’ll make the matchday squad for Wolves’ European excursion. Jonny Otto should keep his place at left-back as a result.
Vinagre would have likely featured on Thursday if fit, however, as Nuno has often rotated his squad in the competition to give fringe players an opportunity. The 20-year-old has made 23 appearances in all competitions, but he’s only racked up 338 minutes of Premier League football.
In the Europa League, Vinagre has played in nine games and racked up 603 minutes – he started in three of Wolves’ last four group games. Nuno did say in January that his injury was a massive blow and could be a serious one, so it remains to be seen when the young left-back will return.
How will Wolverhampton Wanderers fare against Espanyol?
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Keep up Vinagre has returned to training.