Wolves have welcomed Pedro Neto back to full training, and there has also been a return this week for midfielder Joe Hodge.
Wolves are gearing up for their Christmas Eve fixture against Chelsea on Sunday and are looking to get back on track after some iffy results of late.
Wanderers haven’t played well in their last few matches, and the performance at West Ham United was definitely concerning.
Molineux legend Andy Thompson said after that game that Gary O’Neil as ‘no alternative’ but to revert to a back five against Chelsea, but we shall see what the manager decides to do.
He’s starting to get players back now, one of those being Joe Hodge…
Joe Hodge pictured back in full Wolves training after shoulder surgery
Wolves have released some new training pictures from this week, and in the latest batch, Hodge can be seen in the background of one of the photos.
It is the first time the youngster has been pictured in Wolves training since he suffered a shoulder injury earlier this season.
Hodge required surgery, and has been unavailable for selection since after the game with Bournemouth on October 21.
It has been a season of frustration for Hodge, who also picked up a hamstring injury on his first start of the season against Blackpool. His struggles with his fitness have meant that that has been his only appearance this term.
It remains to be seen if Hodge will make the matchday squad to face Chelsea. It will be tough for him since O’Neil has four solid midfield options in Mario Lemina, Joao Gomes, Tommy Doyle and Boubacar Traore, with Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha both able to operate as advanced midfielders.
Boost for Wolves, Hodge may be needed for hectic period
It is great to see Hodge back in training and his return is good news given Wolves are now in the thick of a very hectic period.
O’Neil has given a lot of minutes to Lemina and Gomes, and the duo will need rotating at some point you would imagine.
Doyle needs more minutes and Traore will also be relatively fresh, but it’s good to have Hodge available as an option again just in case.
Quite possibly, he could end up leaving on loan in January – which is something he has said he’s open to. But perhaps it would be wise for Wolves not to sanction any move until the end of the transfer window just in case, especially with Traore potentially heading off to AFCON with Mali.