Wolves are looking to bounce back from their defeat to Burnley, against whom Joao Gomes was surprisingly named on the bench.
Wolves lost for the seventh time in the Premier League on Sunday, falling in the final minute against the Clarets.
Wolves had done well to get back to 2-2. But then they struggled to break Burnley down despite creating a few chances.
At the end, Wolves turned the ball over in a dangerous area, and were punished by Lyle Foster, who broke the offside trap and finished past Sam Johnstone.
There were then scenes of frustration involving the South Bank, Vitor Pereira and some players.
It was an awful day for the club, and the significance of the situation is not lost on Joao Gomes, who has sent out a couple of messages to Wolves fans since the game.
Joao Gomes didn’t actually start against Burnley, and Pereira has since explained that decision.
Why Joao Gomes was dropped against Burnley
Pereira’s starting XIs always make for fascinating reading.
And on Sunday, the team he picked featured two surprises. The first was that Ki-Jana Hoever was handed a start at right-back, despite Jackson Tchatchoua being available.
The second, and perhaps the most eyebrow-raising, was Gomes starting on the bench.
Gomes had previously started every Premier League game in 2025/26 for Wolves. But against Burnley, he was denied the chance to start for his 100th appearance. The decision to bench Gomes left Lee Naylor baffled, and plenty of supporters were immediately worried.
Pereira was asked about this decision, and said: “Bellegarde was the player in the position of Joao Gomes and I need to look at training and what they are giving in this moment and I chose Bellegarde.
“When Joao came on, he came with the true spirit to help the team, playing good football, and trying with this spirit to help us.”
Pereira decision could light a fire beneath Gomes
Pereira can probably turn around and say that his decision to bench Gomes was justified, because Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was arguably Wolves’ best player against Burnley.
However, some will still question why Gomes was dropped for Wolves’ biggest game of the season, a must-win home match against Burnley.
When Gomes did come for his 100th appearance he did provide Wolves with more intensity and you could tell he was looking to make up for the fact he was benched.
He hasn’t been at his best this season, and perhaps him losing his place had been coming at some point.
But maybe that decision will now light a new fire beneath Gomes. He won’t want it to happen again, and the hope is that he raises his game to a new level.