Only five players have surpassed Matheus Cunha’s tally of 10 Premier League goals between the start of the season and the end of the year, but Wolves’ top scorer will be forced off the pitch for the first time in January.
The former Brazil forward was suspended for the high-profile incident after his side lost at home to Ipswich Town on December 14.
In case any evidence was needed of how much he could be missed, the 25-year-old scored in Wolves’ 3-0 win at Leicester City and scored and assisted in their 2-0 home win over Manchester United in their next two games.
How long will Cunha be out? Which games will he miss and how much is he fined? 101GreatGoals.com has the details.
LATEST: Matheus Cunha charged with misconduct following Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town 🚨 pic.twitter.com/k56pO3ZQId
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 17, 2024
When is Cunha’s suspension? How many games will he miss?
Cunha will miss a tricky Premier League game for Wolves, with Nottingham Forest away to Molineux on January 6 (20:00 GMT) in the first game of 2025 for both clubs.
Wolves have climbed out of the relegation zone by a point thanks to two wins and a draw since the arrival of Vitor Pereira as their manager, but Forest – who started the year in second place and on a run of five consecutive wins – could provide the Portuguese with his biggest early test.
Forest have won their last three away games, following a 3-2 win at Manchester United along with 2-0 wins at Brentford and Everton.
Pereira will also be without Cunha for the trip to Championship club Bristol City in the FA Cup third round on January 11 (12pm).
The Robins could test Wolves, having only lost to top-flight Burnley and Sheffield United in their first 12 home league games and ending the year with two wins in four days at Ashton Gate against Luton Town and Portsmouth.
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) December 31, 2024
Why is Cunha banned? Explanation of the Ipswich crash
Cunha’s 72nd-minute goal looked set to earn Wolves a 1-1 draw against Ipswich, until Jack Taylor scored the winner four minutes into added time.
Tensions boiled over after a potentially damaging blow to Wolves’ survival prospects in what turned out to be former manager Gary O’Neil’s last game in charge.
In footage which has sparked widespread criticism, Cunha is seen elbowing a member of the Ipswich staff and knocking their glasses off their faces after the game ended, while outfielder Rayan Ait-Nouri was sent off in the tunnel.
The Football Association investigated and fined Cunha £80,000 in addition to a suspension, although he could still sit out games in the new year after being injured during Wolves’ final game of 2024.
Pereira withdrew Cunha at half-time in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham with a suspected hamstring problem, explaining that his No.10 “felt something” and was “not comfortable running”.
