Potential Doherty injury may open the door for Vinagre to impress

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As reported by The Express & Star, Matt Doherty could be set for a short spell on the sidelines.

The Republic of Ireland international picked up a nasty looking facial injury against Arsenal at the weekend.

He is yet to link up with Martin O’Neill and co ahead of games with Northern Ireland and Denmark, because he is seeing a specialist.

The full-back received lengthy treatment for his injury, after catching an elbow just above his eye.

It could be that Doherty misses Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Premier League match against Huddersfield Town after the international break and if that’s the case, then Nuno Espirito Santo could hand young Ruben Vinagre a chance to shine from the start.

Vinagre’s time?

If Doherty were to miss out, then Santo will surely turn to Vinagre and move usual left wing-back Jonny Otto into Doherty’s position, with the Spaniard naturally right-footed.

Doherty has started every game for Wolves in the Premier League so far and will be determined to keep that run going, but the decision could be out of his hands.

Vinagre will need to try and take his chance with both hands, because both Doherty and Otto have been in brilliant form so far this season.

Vinagre has made four appearances off the bench in the Premier League but is yet to start for the Black Country club – although he did make two starts in the League Cup.

The promising 19-year-old, who joined the club permanently from AS Monaco in the summer of 2018 after a loan move to Molineux in 2017, has made 19 appearances in total for the club so far.