Wolves’ pre-season schedule is now over, and it’s time to look ahead to the 2021/22 season.
Bruno Lage will take charge of his first competitive match on August 14.
It is certainly a tricky start, with Leicester City – who just beat Manchester City in the Community Shield – the opposition at the King Power Stadium.
Last season’s FA Cup winners will no doubt make life difficult, and are obviously in possession of some very talented players.
They are particularly threatening in the final third.
Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho are both fantastic strikers and are both very quick, as is new signing Patson Daka.
Then there’s the likes of Harvey Barnes and Ricardo Pereira in the wide areas.
The weakest aspect of Wolves’ team right now is undoubtedly the defence. Specifically the centre-halves.
Against Celta Vigo yesterday, Romain Saiss looked vulnerable.
The Morocco international clumsily gave away a penalty, which was converted by Iago Aspas for what turned out to be the winner.
The £22,000-a-week star (Spotrac) then made a very rash challenge and was lucky to stay on the pitch.
Playing Saiss against Leicester would be risky
Leicester employ a free-flowing brand of football and like to do things at pace.
Lage is not exactly spoilt for choice in terms of centre-back options right now, so the temptation will be to stick Saiss in at the back.
But maybe he ought to be bold and go with a back four with Conor Coady and Max Kilman.
Or perhaps he could use a three, with Coady, Kilman and Fernando Marcal, who played as a left-sided centre-half fairly often at Lyon.
Going with Saiss against a team with as much pace and fluidity at Leicester just seems like the wrong call.
Although he has been linked with an exit from club, he still potentially has a role to play this term. Maybe just not in this particular game.