Forget Neves & Jimenez: Liam Keen refuses to rule out another major Wolves exit

Despite being ever-present during Bruno Lage’s maiden season at Molineux doubts have been cast over the future of Coady.

The 29-year-old has started every one of Wolves’ 37 games in the Premier League this season but with Lage’s preferred formation a 4-42 according to SofaScore and as seen during his tenure with Benfica, Coady could find himself out of favour given that he does tend to struggle in a four.

Dave Edwards has urged the board to back their 46-year-old coach this summer and with centre-backs expected to arrive, Keen says Coady’s future is unclear.

Speaking on the E&S Wolves Podcast, Keen said: “I think he’ll stay, but I don’t think it’s impossible that you see him go, purely because, not that he can’t play [in] a four, but he’s obviously not as well-suited to a four.

“I think everyone knows that and Wolves are going to need centre-back signings, so I think that the formation’s a big one, if they do want to make that change, that may impact it. But then, equally, what he offers on and off the pitch and how excellent he’s been, he’d be a big miss. I don’t see it being impossible; I do think it’s unlikely, I think he stays at Wolves.”

Last season, Nuno Espirito Santo tried to change from his stringent wing-back formations but it backfired as the club picked up just one point from their four league matches, shipping 10 goals including three in a 3-2 defeat to West Brom, where Coady came in for particular criticism with Molineux News expressing that he looks “very suspect in a back four” and his display against the Baggies was “alarming”.

As a natural midfielder that perhaps can be expected from the nine-capped England international and with Willy Boly dealing with persistent injuries that have led to just nine