Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a 1-2 win over Middlesbrough on Friday at the Riverside Stadium to strengthen their grip at the top of the Championship table. With Cardiff City not very far behind, the Wolves need to engineer wins on a regular basis in the business end of the season to clinch the English second tier silverware.
They are due to host Hull City at the Molineux Stadium on Tuesday and at the onset, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men must be backing themselves for a win. But the Portuguese manager has some key areas to address when he decides on his starting line-up against Nigel Adkins’ men.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Team News
Ruben Neves and Matt Doherty were shown red cards against the Smoggies and thus, both of them are suspended for the upcoming fixture. Meanwhile, Romain Saiss, Helder Costa and Diogo Jota are doubtful for the game as they are struggling with injuries after the match against Tony Pulis’ side.
Goalkeeper
John Ruddy has been the indispensable first-choice shot-stopper for the Wolves this season in the Championship and he has really dazzled under the bar. He has notched 19 clean sheets from 39 league games and is likely to start as the custodian once again.
Defence
A three-man defensive wall is set to be rolled out once again by Espirito Santo, comprising of Ryan Bennett, Conor Coady and Willy Boly. The Wolves backline has been very resilient this season and these three defenders have lived up to the expectations in a commendable manner.
Wingbacks
Barry Douglas has engineered a fine balance between his defensive duties and offensive endeavours and we expect him to start as the left-wingback once again. However, in the absence of Doherty, Ruben Vinagre could get the nod to start as he is more than a decent backup for Doherty.
Midfield
If Saiss remains unfit, Danny Batth might be handed the responsibility to start as the holding midfielder. He possesses the required defensive edge and can certainly do the job with the volumes of experience he has under his belt. Alongside him, we expect Alfred N’Diaye to start in the absence of Neves.
Attack
Up front, we expect Benik Afobe to start. He is a clinical finisher, holds the ball well in the final third and showcases immense work-ethic. Ivan Cavaleiro is likely to keep his place on the left-wing whereas, from the right-wing slot, we expect Morgan Gibbs-White to get the green light to start.
