Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa is set to link up with Wolves after £15million new boy Sasa Kalajdzic suffered a devastating knee injury.
Kalajdzic, 25, suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage in the 1-0 win against Southampton at Molineux on Saturday. The Austrian only joined Wolves from Stuttgart last Wednesday and it's feared he will now miss most of the season.
Wolves manager Bruno Lage is short of options up front with Raul Jimenez, 31, his only recognised striker after young star Fabio Silva joined Anderlecht on loan. Mexico international Jimenez also suffered a groin complaint in the warm-up before Saturday's game. As such, Wolves have moved quickly to offer Costa, 33, the chance to prove he can still cut it in the Premier League.
Costa will join up with Wolves at the club's Compton training base on Tuesday and undergo all the necessary medical checks. Wolves will be concerned about his match fitness because he hasn't played professional football since leaving Brazil side Atletico Mineiro in January.
Provided all goes well, the Spain international is set to be offered a one-year contract at Wolves if his trial goes to plan, providing cover for Kalajdzic as he undergoes rehab. There will be scope for the West Midlands side to extend that deal if he performs well.
Costa is a proven Premier League scorer after finding the net 52 times in 89 games for Chelsea between August 2014 and May 2017, winning two titles. Yet he's struggled since then, scoring just 19 goals in all competitions for Atletico Madrid and his last club.
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Costa's trophy cabinet is also impressive. As well as those two Premier League titles, he's won two La Liga titles, three European Super Cups, the Brazilian title, Europa League, Copa del Rey, Brazilian Cup and EFL Cup. He's also got 24 senior caps for Spain.
In a statement on Sunday, Wolves' medical team confirmed: "Sasa felt a pain in his knee late in the first-half against Southampton. Unfortunately, scans reveal an anterior cruciate injury and he will see a knee specialist tomorrow.
"We now need to support Sasa in his recovery and further updates will follow. Raul’s pre-season was interrupted by a knee injury which means that he is still building his resilience and his ability to recover quickly during periods of match congestion.
"It was felt that his body needed a few more days to recover after he felt a pain in his groin during the warm up and we did not want to put him at increased risk of injury."
Wolves endured a difficult start to the season, failing to win any of their first five games. The 1-0 victory against Southampton has lifted them up to 14th in the table, but their next four games are against Liverpool, Manchester City, West Ham and Chelsea in a daunting run.
