We look at three key decisions that Gary O’Neil needs to make if Wolves are to come out on top against Brighton on Monday night.
Wolves return to the Premier League on Monday as they travel to the Amex Stadium to take on Brighton.
The match will be O’Neil’s first Premier League game of the year after guiding the club into the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Brighton will no doubt be a tough test for the visitors. Despite Wolves coming into the game on a three-match winning streak in the Premier League, they historically have little luck against the Seagulls.
The Molineux side have only beaten Brighton five times in their history. The last time the club travelled down to the Amex, they suffered their worst defeat in the Premier League in a 6-0 thumping.
Even in Gary O’Neil’s first home game at the club, his side were demolished 4-1 as they collapsed early in the second half.
However, the manager will be hoping to come out on top with a surprise result on Monday night. Wolves are only three points behind Brighton as they look to push into the top.
If O’Neil is to get the result he desires, here are three key decisions he must make to ensure Wolves come back with all three points.
Midfield conundrum for Brighton v Wolves
Wolves have been short in the midfielder department recently. Joao Gomes is still unavailable for the clash after picking up a red card against Brentford. Boubacar Traore is also not in the squad due to his call-up to AFCON.
Last game, O’Neil opted to play Joe Hodge in the centre. However, Mario Lemina has now returned to the squad after the passing of his father.
With Lemina not receiving much time on the pitch in recent weeks, O’Neil must decide whether to stick with Hodge or bring Lemina into the starting XI for Monday.
Pedro Neto to start in Brighton v Wolves?
It is clear that Neto is one of Wolves’ best players. The winger was on fire earlier in the campaign before his injury against Newcastle.
After spending two months on the sidelines, the 23-year-old made his return last month from the bench. However, despite coming back almost a month ago, Neto is yet to make his first start.
The manager confirmed in the week that he may well be ready to make that step up. If Neto is fit enough to start, O’Neil must return him back into the starting lineup. However, he must also be cautious.
The game next week against West Brom is far more important, and there is no doubt that the Portuguese international would make a big difference in the Black Country Derby.
Hugo Bueno to return in Brighton v Wolves?
The Spaniard was out at the start of the month with an injury. This left Wolves low in the left wingback department with Rayan Ait-Nouri away with Algeria.
This meant that only Matt Doherty could play in this position and has been used on the left in both ties against Brentford in the FA Cup.
However, now Hugo Bueno is back to full fitness, O’Neil must decide whether to drop Doherty for the youngster.
The 21-year-old clearly has a lot of potential this could be an opportunity for him to stake a claim to start more often. With Doherty also more of a right-sided player, O’Neil must decide who is better to start in order to get a result.