Wolves striker Matheus Cunha has been banned for two matches and fined £80,000 over an incident after playing the full match against Ipswich.
Cunha was involved in an altercation with a member of Ipswich staff after the end of a Premier League match on December 14, with the FA subsequently accusing the Brazilian of “inappropriate conduct”.
The incident occurred after Jack Taylor scored the winning goal for Ipswich, who are also fighting for Premier League survival, in Gary O’Neil’s last match before he was sacked as Wolves manager.
Wolves have won four of their 19 games and are 17th in the Premier League.
Analysis: Cunha’s ban is a big blow to Wolves
Cunha has been the most important factor for Wolves this season, so it almost cannot be overstated how damaging his absence could be to the club’s hopes of Premier League survival. His eight goals are only part of the story.
Cunha’s dramatic late equalizer in Brighton ended a run of five straight defeats. It was Cunha’s long-range shot that secured the team’s first win of the season against Southampton, after assisting the first goal of the match.
It was Cunha’s two superb goals away at Fulham that helped Wolves claim their only Premier League victory this season. His team had problems at the other end of the pitch, but thanks to Cunha, they are the eighth best scorer.
O’Neil liked to talk about the tactical work that went into making Cunha a better player, but the truth is that the Brazilian remains an unconventional player, an individual capable of magical moments that come from his own imagination, not training. ground.
“I’m Brazilian and a very emotional guy,” he said Heavenly sports in summer. Now these emotions have won and will prevent him from taking part in some key matches for his club. The wolves fought with Cunha. Without it, their task looks more intimidating.
There are options for new boss Vitor Pereira. Goncalo Guedes has hinted he could play a bigger role, while Hee-Chan Hwang is still hoping to rediscover last season’s form. But there is no one who can achieve what Cunha is capable of. In Wolves or beyond.
Adam Bat
