Wolverhampton Wanderers have failed to engineer a victory in any of their last three league encounters, with their latest outing ending in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham at the Craven Cottage. Although Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are still placed at the top of the league table with 73 points to their name from 34 games, Cardiff City are merely 6 points behind them.
The Wolves need to regroup themselves for their next game, which is an away trip to the Elland Road to face Leeds United. Wolves will be without Ruben Neves, who is serving a two-match ban. Here is how we expect them to line-up against Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
Goalkeeper
John Ruddy is expected to be stationed between the sticks once again in the upcoming fixture. The 31-year-old might have conceded 2 goals against the Cottagers but there is no denying that he has been an instrumental figure for Espirito Santo’s side this season, having notched up 17 clean sheets from 34 league outings.
Defence
We expect to see a three-man defensive wall comprising of Willy Boly, Conor Coady and Ryan Bennett once again when the team laces up against the Whites. These three have developed excellent camaraderie amongst themselves and would be looking forward to mustering a clean sheet against a Leeds United side which has been timorous up front for a major portion of this season.
Wingbacks
Barry Douglas has been someone who has contributed immensely to Wolves’ attacking endeavours. Besides, he has performed his defensive duties timely, more often than not, and is expected to be pencilled in the left-wingback position once again. Matt Doherty is more than an efficient player and he is set to start from the right-wingback slot.
Midfield
The absence of Neves means that Alfred N’Diaye should be getting yet another start under his belt in the central midfield position. He has proven himself to be a strong and industrious midfielder and has showcased the requisite attributes to flourish under Santo. We expect Roman Saiss to partner him once again.
Attack
Leo Bonatini failed to make his presence felt against Fulham and thus, we anticipate that Diogo Jota could be given the nod to start up front by Espirito Santo. Jota has smashed 12 goals and has also made 4 assists in 34 league appearances that he has accumulated under his belt until this point in the ongoing campaign.
Jota should be a lethal weapon against a shaky defensive line of the Peacocks. From the left-wing, we expect Ivan Cavaleiro to start and showcase his attacking prowess and in the right-wing slot, we expect Helder Costa to be stationed to weave his magic in the final third.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored & Squawka
