Wolves thought they had the answer to their centre-back woes in Yerson Mosquera, and then a nightmare happened.
Just five games into the 2024/25 Premier League season, Mosquera suffered an ACL injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.
It was a resounding blow as the Colombian was showing fine form for Wolves before he was forced out of action.
Mosquera has returned to Wolves training ahead of a crucial pre-season campaign, where he’ll have a point to prove.
Yerson Mosquera in Wolves training.
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Yerson Mosquera set for battle with Matt Doherty
After spending the 2023/24 season on loan spells with both Cincinnati and Villarreal, Mosquera returned to Wolves as Gary O’Neil’s missing puzzle piece.
From as early as pre-season, it was clear what the towering defender could bring to Wolves’ back three, but since his injury, someone else has taken his place.
Speaking about who will have a point to prove in pre-season, journalist Liam Keen revealed the player that Mosquera will have to usurp if he is to be a starter once more.
“If all three of them are fit, injury-free and firing, Mosquera, Agbadou and Toti is a monstrous back three, that’s a scary, athletic, tall, back three,” Keen said on The Keen & Judah Show.
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The Wolves expert then admitted that, in no way, could Matt Doherty be omitted from conversations about defensive starters.
“That is a really exciting back three, but I completely agree, you cannot disrespect what Matt Doherty did.
“You cannot undermine the experience, the professionalism, what he brings to this football club and he was fantastic in that second half of the season when Vitor Pereira made him one of the first names on the teamsheet and made sure he was important and used that experience to his benefit to get Wolves out of trouble.”
Keen went on to urge Mosquera to prepare himself for competition with the Irishman, giving his opinion that, right now, Doherty is Pereira’s starter.
“In my opinion, right now, as of today, Matt Doherty, that should be his shirt, and that is why there’s a massive challenge for Yerson Mosquera to get back in there.”
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Mosquera ready for pre-season challenge
There were rumours that Mosquera could be sent on loan, but such would surely be an error from Wolves, who are already short at centre-back.
For Mosquera, there’s one thing on his mind, and that’s putting the work in over the summer, ready to give his all for the Old Gold when competitive action kicks off.
“I need to work. I need to recover well. I need to go to summer and do something as well, because I need to be back ready for the next step, it’s really important for me.
“I need to show the fans why I need to stay here, why I need to play. That’s my point, to show them a good show.”
The central defender signed a new deal in March to take his contract to 2030, showing how valued he is by the club and how committed he is to Wolves.