Wolves manager Bruno Lage has revealed the latest on injured defender Willy Boly's status, with the Ivory Coast international having made just one appearance under the Portuguese this season.
What's the latest?
Boly endured an injury-stricken 2021, playing just 11 games in all competitions across the calendar year and is yet to appear in the Premier League this season, having made just one appearance in the EFL Cup.
The 30-year-old most recently made the squad for Wolves' 1-0 win at Brighton in mid-December, although another setback has ruled the defender out of action for the Golden Boys as well as for his native Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations.
Speaking to the media about Boly's situation, Lage said: “He has some muscular problems and sometimes doesn’t feel comfortable with it. That’s why sometimes he is ready to play, then he starts training and feels a little pain.
“It’s important when you are in that position you feel ready and confident.
“This situation is not good for Boly, it’s not good for me and it’s not good for the club,” the 45-year-old added. “Every time he comes, he goes. He needs time to work, to prepare himself, because he was important in the past and can help the team to be better.
“He has a contract with us, and he’s a top player, and he stayed with us instead of going to the national team - it means something. He preferred to stay with us and recover. This is a good signal.”
Wolves fans will be gutted
The Ivorian is certainly a popular figure amongst the Molineux faithful, having played a major part in getting the West Midlands club back to the Premier League in the 2017/18 campaign, in which he made 36 Championship appearances.
Moreover, the 30-year-old was vital in Wolves' first campaign back in the top-flight as he missed just two of their 38 league matches.
However, it now appears as though there is little room for the centre-back in the starting line up, that is with everyone available.
The regular trio of Conor Coady, Max Kilman and Romain Saiss has been a revelation this campaign, with Wolves the Premier League's second-best defenders behind league leaders Manchester City, having conceded just 15 goals in 20 matches.
Boly will have to find a solution to his reoccurring issues, if not, it may prove to be the end of his tenure in the West Midlands. Considering his popularity among the fanbase, this is an eventuality that would leave the Molineux faithful gutted.
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