Gary O’Neil will have been using the international break to meticulously prepare his Wolves side for the visit of Manchester City.
Following the 5-3 loss to Brentford before the break, intense pressure was piled onto Gary O’Neil, who is still backed by the Wolves board.
O’Neil last delivered a Premier League win for Wolves in April, when the Old Gold secured a 2-1 win over Luton Town.
Since then, a run of zero wins in their previous 10 matches and a whopping 31 goals conceded suggests the Wanderers boss is fortunate to be in a job.
It could get worse for O’Neil before it gets better, though, as Man City are next up at Molineux, and they are unbeaten in their first seven Premier League games.
The Citizens also have most of their first-team stars fit and firing but Pep Guardiola has ruled out one player ahead of the clash.
Pep Guardiola rules out Kevin De Bruyne ahead of Wolves
Kevin De Bruyne has been sidelined since picking up a groin injury in last month’s Champions League draw against Inter Milan while Nathan Ake has been out with a hamstring problem.
De Bruyne sat out Belgium’s recent Nations League games against Italy and France, and will not be fit for City’s visit to Wolverhampton, as confirmed by Guardiola.
Speaking in Friday’s pre-match press conference, the Spanish boss ruled out his Belgian playmaker and Dutchman Ake.
“I don’t think so. No. Not ready,” Pep revealed on City’s official website.
“They are training and in the last part and yesterday Nathan did his first training with the team. Maybe can travel but to start is not ready.”
De Bruyne has previously been dubbed ‘world-class’ by Gary Neville and is one of the greatest midfielders the Premier League has ever seen.
The 33-year-old was expected to return after the international break but that latest update has put his chances of featuring in jeopardy, along with Ake.
Wolves have to test Man City without Rodri
Rodri ruptured his ACL in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal last month and will be out for the entire season.
It’s an injury that can have huge ramifications on the Premier League title race, with the 28-year-old such an integral part of Guardiola’s system.
That has been evident in recent games, as City looked all over the place defensively against Newcastle and should have conceded more in the 3-2 defeat to Fulham.
Without Rodri in the side, the Citizens lose their midfield balance, as Mateo Kovacic can’t play the role of a single pivot to a world-class standard.
In last season’s fixture at Molineux, Guardiola was without his all-action midfielder and O’Neil masterminded a 2-1 win.
Wolves exploited the gaps in their midfield and broke quick transitions. They must utilise the pace of Carlos Forbs and Matheus Cunha on the break to catch City out cold and hopefully put in a monstrous defensive display.
The Old Gold are being written off completely on Sunday – and that was the case last season – but they must use that as motivation to secure a mammoth victory.