Burnley are a strong defensive side, and that has led Liam Keen to suggest that Vitor Pereira should make a brave decision selecting his starting XI and start Fer Lopez.
The Old Gold are now in must-win territory. Leeds United winning was not ideal for Wolves, and victories from Brentford and Sunderland on Saturday have allowed them to pull further away from the drop zone.
If the Clarets beat the Wanderers, that would leave Wolves eight points behind the closest newly promoted side.
The danger of relegation is real, and if survival is to be achieved, it has to start with a win against Burnley, and Liam Keen believes Fer Lopez can help achieve that.
Liam Keen believes Fer Lopez could be key against Burnley
Fer Lopez’s chances at Wolves have been few and far between, with the Spaniard starting just one Premier League game this season.
In that match, the former Celta Vigo man picked up an assist against Leeds United, but he has barely featured off the bench since.
In the four games after the 3-1 loss to Daniel Farke’s side, Lopez has played just 14 minutes, with that coming against Sunderland.
However, with Burnley being a strong defensive side, Liam Keen believes Lopez could be a ‘risk’, but it could be worth it due to his creativity.
Keen said, “Pereira has not given the Spaniard many chances, and it could be a risk for this huge game, but he is the one player that has the creativity to unlock the door and manufacture a chance, despite still being raw and inexperienced.”
Lopez is not a natural winger, and with Wolves moving to a 4-3-3 recently, there are not many roles for him to fit into.
However, Vitor Pereira could slightly change shape again to get Lopez in, and that could be the ideal scenario.
Wolves are sorely lacking creativity, and having a player like the young Spaniard in his preferred role could unlock the creative spark they need.
Fer Lopez needs long run in the team
Giving players minutes here and there will not get them into form, and that has been an issue for Wolves this season.
Wolves were third all-time in changes to the starting lineup after seven games, and that does not allow players to get into a rhythm.
Lopez has started just one match for the Old Gold, and his impact was clear by getting an assist.
They must start scoring goals again, and having a creative player like the 21-year-old become a regular feature could be key.
It is time to give him multiple starts in a row, with Burnley being the beginning of that.