Wolves: £50k-a-week star 'has to deliver' at Molineux

Wolves need Diego Costa up and running after the international break, says journalist Dean Jones.

The striker missed the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last Saturday, another game where Bruno Lage’s men struggled in attack.

Lage told reporters that Costa was not ready to play in the loss to City, with the 33-year-old having not featured in a match since last December.

“He didn’t train with the team all week. It will take time for him to be ready to compete at this level,” the Portuguese manager said (via Express & Star).

“He’s fit, he doesn’t have any problems, but he’s spent a long time without playing and he didn’t do any training with the team.”

Costa arrived at Molineux on a free transfer following Sasa Kalajdzic’s injury. The Austrian is set for a long spell on the sidelines after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament.

Jones feels Wolves desperately need Costa when club football returns and thinks the former Chelsea man is under pressure to deliver given the team’s bluntness in attack.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “He just doesn’t have options up front. Diego Costa has to be available straight after the international break and he has to begin with a bang, because Wolves look lifeless in attack.

“They have to start creating chances and they have to convert them when they come along.”

As Jones said, Wolves have looked lifeless at times. In the seven Premier League games Lage’s men have played so far, they have scored a measly three goals.

It means that they have the joint-worst record in the division when it comes to finding the back of the net, with West Ham also managing to register just three times this term (via WhoScored).

Last season, Wolves were in the bottom five for goals scored, too,