Dave Edwards: Cruel blow for Sasa... but ‘villain’ Diego Costa could work for Wolves

I had the pleasure of working on commentary at Molineux and there were comments around me and at half-time that he’d be okay as there didn’t seem much in the challenge on replay. Maybe it would just be a bit of discomfort.

But for me, having played the game and having seen how anterior cruciate ligament injuries happen, I was saying to Jacqui Oatley next me it looked like an ACL issue, with no contact and the way the big striker was holding his knee.

The way he had the ability to carry on for a bit before coming off at half-time, it all screamed an ACL to me. I had the hunch and feared the worst.

Unfortunately, I was right and it is so frustrating for him and Wolves. We could see already how physical he was. Wolves were going to adapt their game for him.

It’s a huge blow for Bruno Lage. Kalajdazic was going to be his game-changer – the one who could finish off all these chances.

Luckily they got the narrow win over Southampton, especially given the injury and the next games coming up for Wolves.

Wolves need to work out a way to get Raul Jimenez up to speed, he’s been miles off it this season.

The news on everybody’s lips at the moment is the reported potential free agent arrival of the famous Diego Costa, who sounds like he’s coming in to show his fitness ahead of a move.

Costa is the villain you want on your team – a player you hate to face. You hate seeing him play against your team as a fan.

He’s horrible, he winds people up, I played against him in the FA Cup a few years ago, we lost 2-0 and he scored. He’s so strong and technically very good.

He certainly irritates people, he takes defenders’ minds off their game, which can be a good thing. Defenders then do something rash; a booking, a poor clearance or switch off. Costa brings that gamesmanship.

There is that quality he will still have. He’s a goalscorer. If you can get 70 to 80 per cent of Costa from Chelsea or Atletico Madrid then you have an unbelievable player.

My initial thought was to look where he had played recently and I saw he had left Atletico Mineiro in Brazil.

You wonder if it’s a big ask to come and compete in the Premier League again. Is he fit enough or mentally ready? Hopefully he is.

He might be 33 now but all fans want the villain on your team, to wind up the opposition and create that ‘you versus the world’ mentality – that really can galvanise a squad, especially away from home.

You can imagine Costa striking in a 1-0 away win and it being all about him. But it will be a huge ask for him to recreate his Stamford Bridge form of years gone by.