Wolves have found much more joy in the Carabao Cup this season than in the league, but Wednesday’s clash with Chelsea is a challenge on a different level.
Wins against West Ham and Everton have got Wolves to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, where they will battle against the Blues for a place in the quarter-finals.
The timing couldn’t be much worse from a form and morale point of view, after such a disappointing result against Burnley at the weekend.
But Wolves need to dust themselves off quickly if they are to have any chance at an upset against Enzo Maresca’s side.
Vitor Pereira’s future at Wolves appears safe for now, but things can change quickly in football. Saying this clash is a must-win is an unrealistic bar to set, but the performance has to provide some sign of improvement.
With that in mind, here’s the side Molineux News predict for Wednesday night.
A strong defensive line needed for Wolves against Chelsea
The Carabao Cup is usually a good opportunity for heavy squad rotation, but Pereira needs to find the right balance, and avoid weakening the back line too much.
Chelsea have one of the deepest squads in the league, and even a second-choice attack would have more than enough firepower to threaten Wolves.
With that in mind, Sam Johnstone and Ladislav Krejci retain their spots on form. Jackson Tchatchoua gets back in the lineup after three games without being picked. David Moller Wolfe also gets a run, with Hugo Bueno rested.
A running theme in recent predictions has been forecasting the return of Emmanuel Agbadou. Pereira is yet to reintroduce him after making the decision to drop the Ivorian from the lineup, but it has to happen sooner or later.
Wolves’ biggest strength now a problem for Vitor Pereira
For much of the campaign, and since Pereira has been manager really, the middle of the park has been the area of least concern.
That has changed recently, and Wolves have started to regularly lose the midfield battle. Joao Gomes’ poor performance against Sunderland spurred Pereira to drop him at the weekend, but he surely has to feature against Chelsea’s formidable midfield.
Andre has corrected his early-season struggles, and Jean Ricner-Bellegarde is building his case to start.
Those three make up the midfield, leaving Marshall Munetsi on the bench after a run of consecutive starts.
A brand new attack for Wolves
The last time Wolves featured in this competition, Pereira made wholesale changes.
That being said, opposition quality has to factor into these decisions. That’s why we think the spine of the defence and midfield will stay intact against Chelsea.
But up front, the manager may as well try something completely new. The preferred choices haven’t done nearly enough with their opportunities against Sunderland and Burnley, so there’s no reason not to look for new solutions up top.
Jorgen Strand Larsen got his goal against Burnley from the penalty spot, but he hasn’t looked himself at all. Still no league goals from open play for a man who couldn’t stop finding the net last season.
Tolu Arokodare hasn’t seen much action in recent weeks, so it feels fair to give him the starting berth over the Norwegian.
Either side of him, Pereira has a few options who have been so far underutilised.
One is obvious. Pereira needs to trust Fer Lopez to play. For the other side, we think a bold shout is in order. One of Mateus Mane or Tawanda Chirewa deserves the chance to help this struggling Wolves attack, if Pereira is brave enough to take the gamble.
Predicted XI vs Burnley: Johnstone: Tchatchoua, Agbadou, Krejci, Moller Wolfe; Andre, J.Gomes, Bellegarde; Chirewa, Arokodare, Lopez.