Gary O’Neil says he’s devastated for Yerson Mosquera but insists his injury can’t deter the group from what they’re trying to build this season.
The Colombian has started every Premier League game this term, but his injury at Aston Villa means he faces a long spell on the sidelines. The news alters the head coach’s plans for Liverpool this weekend and beyond, but he says it opens the doors for others and the whole group must react positively to the setbacks.
On Mosquera’s injury
“He's a great kid, so I’m absolutely devastated for him because of his energy and his life. No matter how things go each week, he gives absolutely everything, and he always attacks things and does things in the right way. A big loss to us from that point of view. He was showing signs that he was capable of playing at the level we were hoping.
“So, from a team and a squad point of view, a big blow to us, obviously, but with that brings opportunity for others. Alfie Pond, for instance, gets a step closer. A boy that was obviously out on loan last year at Stockport, played for us in the cup at Brighton, and is extremely excited this week that he’s around it and there’s a chance of featuring in Premier League games.
“I am absolutely gutted for Yerson, and it's a blow to the group and where we are, but we have a real good mentality inside the place that we don't let things like that stop what we're trying to do and what we're trying to be. We’re always going to suffer setbacks in a Premier League season, this is a big one, especially for Yerson personally, but we will find a way to make sure that we’re still capable of fighting and picking up points.”
📅 4/2/2023
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 26, 2024
🆚 Wolves 3-0 Liverpool#WOLLIV | @MNEGlobal pic.twitter.com/pr98WYHvtm
On Toti’s fitness
“We'll test him again in the morning. He trained a bit this week. I wouldn't say he was fully fit, but obviously there is still another day to go, and he's getting closer. A little bit more to do. In an ideal world you'd probably leave him a little bit longer, but we'll see how he is tomorrow.
“There's quite a bit of illness, actually. There's probably a few that will need a check tomorrow on how they're feeling, but Bents is OK now, so will be fine to be around the match. Dr Kai has been busy this week, trying to help the lads feel a little bit better, and quite a few missed training today.
“It’s a fantastic home game against Liverpool. We’ve got a few issues going on at the moment but we’re looking forward to getting back out there in front of the home fans and making it as difficult as possible for Liverpool, which is what we try to do every time we played one of the big sides, and looking forward to seeing what we can do tomorrow.”
On a challenging start to the season
“I'm not fazed at all. I’m looking forward to the next part of it. The first thing is you have to accept where you are and then we fight with everything we have to improve it, which is what we've done every day since Aston Villa. We've worked every day with everything we have to get the group in the best spot possible for Liverpool, and then we give absolutely everything tomorrow to try and improve our points tally.
“It doesn't need to look and feel great to win that game. You just need to find a way. Look at Arsenal recently, of course, they were down to 10 men in the last one, but even when they're not. When we were there, we were pushing at their place. They were one up and not many Arsenal fans or Arsenal themselves would expect to be coming under any pressure from Wolves at 1-0 at home with 20 minutes left. But they find a way to weather it, whether they're playing well or not.
“So that Aston Villa situation is a classic one – it doesn't matter what it looks like. Now we need to get out of here with something, of course, we work on how we turn those little margins in our favour, and then hopefully we start to see some improvements in that area.”
On learning from past mistakes
“It's been different. It's very easy to just group all the games together because they come closely together, and we've lost a few of them late. The Newcastle game we were 1-0 up and pushing for a second, and then Newcastle only had a short spell, and then they score a goal from a long way out.
“Aston Villa was different to that. We did lose our way a little bit. We should do better with the goal, but we did definitely lose our way. We struggled to get out and struggled to change the momentum. That one definitely we can improve upon. It's not always going to look like the second half against Aston Villa.
“We need to show some respect to teams, I understand that, and we might have to defend for a spell, but how can we still find ways to get out? Can it be through Jorgen? Can it be through counter attacks? Can we have some control of the ball? The work they've done to get themselves in positions has obviously been good, but you don't get anything for that, so we do need to make sure that we complete the package.”
