Vitor Pereira drops big Wolves selection hint ahead of Bournemouth as clear ‘worries’ emerge

An FA Cup showdown takes centre stage at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Wolves take on Bournemouth.

There was glory in the Premier League last weekend as Wolves clinched a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth thanks to Matheus Cunha’s first-half winner.

The result lifted them five points clear of the relegation zone. But unfortunately, Vitor Pereira’s men were unable to build on those three points as Fulham clinched a 2-1 win over Wolves on Tuesday.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
15	West HamWest Ham	27	9	6	12	32	47	-15	33
16	EvertonEverton	27	7	11	9	30	34	-4	32
17	WolvesWolves	27	6	4	17	37	56	-19	22
18	IpswichIpswich	27	3	8	16	26	57	-31	17
19	LeicesterLeicester	27	4	5	18	25	61	-36	17

Luckily, defeats for Ipswich Town and Leicester City meant a five-point gap remained, with it becoming clear that surviving in the top-flight is the priority.

So, ahead of Wolves FA Cup clash against Bournemouth, the team Pereira fields at the Vitality Stadium could be impacted by their long-term aim.

• READ MORE: Wolves predicted XI vs Bournemouth: Debutant comes in and Vitor Pereira makes Marshall Munetsi decision

Vitor Pereira is prioritising Premier League safety over FA Cup glory

A jam-packed period of football has led to multiple injuries for Wolves, who have Emmanuel Agbadou, Goncalo Guedes, Rodrigo Gomes and Carlos Forbs unavailable this weekend.

Fortunately, Gomes was spotted in training on Thursday, and Hwang Hee-chan is back in contention after his injury.

But despite welcoming back his South Korean forward, Pereira still has immediate ‘worries’ regarding injuries, and this could impact his latest team selection.

When asked about whether he’d field a strong starting lineup against Bournemouth, Pereira told the E&S: “The worries I have are about injuries. I have three or four players at the limit and the next game will be very important for us.

“(Bournemouth) will be important for us, but the next one is very, very, very important and I don’t want more injuries. I need to balance in the beginning, or during the game, some players.”

Following the trip to Bournemouth, Wolves play Everton, Southampton and Ipswich Town in three of their next four. Those are season-defining fixtures and could determine whether survival is achieved.

Wolves will worry about Ipswich Town more than Leicester City

A five-point gap gives Wolves some much-needed breathing space in the battle against relegation. But as Pereira alluded to, his side can’t afford to get complacent, and that is why league form takes precedence over the FA Cup.

Fortunately, their rivals are failing to pick up points. Leicester were beaten 2-0 by West Ham on Thursday night, and Ipswich lost narrowly to Manchester United.

• READ MORE: Wolves fans are in complete agreement after Leicester lose to West Ham – one thing is clear

The former have tasted defeat in 11 of their last 12 league games and play the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Newcastle United in their next four.

Leicester are unlikely to take any points from those games while Ipswich play Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and then a showdown with Wolves.

Arguably, Pereira will worry about Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich more than the Foxes, with that fixture in April set to decide their seasons.