Wolves will seek to take full advantage of Liverpool’s disappointing defeat to Manchester City earlier when they host the Reds on Monday in the third round of the FA Cup.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have already beaten Tottenham Hotspur this month but did suffer an unexpected defeat against Crystal Palace in their last game.
Wolves team news
The return of Diogo Jota will be a massive boost for Wolves as the Portuguese has missed their last four matches.
Romain Saiss is also in contention to start against Liverpool after recovering from his knock.
Predicted Wolves lineup vs Liverpool
Defence
Despite a disappointing defeat against Crystal Palace in midweek, Wolves will be keen to advance to the next round, meaning we can expect Nuno Espirito Santo to retain many of his key players in the starting lineup.
The back-three, in particular, might remain the same with Conor Coady, Willy Boly and Ryan Bennett starting. The trio have conceded six goals in their last four matches and will hope to improve against Liverpool.
Matt Doherty should retain his place in the right-wingback slot. However, the 26-year-old is mostly expected to defend Liverpool’s threat from wider positions instead of getting forward and create chances. Ruben Vinagre might replace Jonathan Castro on the opposite flank.
And in goal, we could expect John Ruddy to be given a rare start as Rui Patricio will most likely be given a breather.
Midfield
Ruben Neves hasn’t been at the top of his game in recent weeks and the Portuguese starlet will be keen to bounce back to form against Liverpool on Monday.
Although the former Porto midfielder didn’t start the last game against Palace, he might play a key role in the midfield alongside Joao Moutinho.
Moutinho’s experience could be crucial in nullifying an excellent Liverpool midfield.
Attack
Santo could shuffle his entire attacking setup this weekend, meaning Morgan Gibbs-White could feature as the attacking midfielder alongside Diogo Jota. They will be looking to provide the necessary creative support Leo Bonatini, who is expected to replace Raul Jimenez as the central striker.
However, it won’t be surprising if both Jota and Gibbs operate in slightly deeper roles in order to support the central midfielders.
