Wolves manager Gary O’Neil could be tempted to hand Rayan Ait-Nouri a different role against Aston Villa, as the Old Gold eye three points at Villa Park.
Wolves are set for a Midlands clash against Aston Villa on Saturday evening in the Old Gold’s return to action following the international break.
Gary O’Neil’s side will be hoping to build some form following their 2-1 victory against Fulham, with a spot in Europe still to play for with 10 games to go.
It will be an interesting challenge for both sides, with Villa seeking a win after picking up just one point from their previous two.
While O’Neil’s side will enter the game with confidence after their hard-fought win over Fulham at Molineux, it’s set to be a struggle for the visitors, who will be without a host of star names.
Wolves team news against Aston Villa
The injuries have come at a bad time for Wolves, who will hope that the losses of some stars won’t be detrimental to their European charge.
Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan are the forwards that will be out of action for the trip to Villa Park, a sore miss considering that the duo have contributed to 24 goals between them in the Premier League.
Craig Dawson missed the clash with Fulham due to a groin problem however, there could be a significant boost for Wolves as Matheus Cunha could return to the squad after recovering from his hamstring injury.
Gary O’Neil would be smart to start Rayan Ait-Nouri in attack
While Wolves are incredibly stretched for depth, O’Neil could use the versatility of key player Rayan Ait-Nouri to deceive Villa on Saturday.
The “incredible” Algerian, as lauded by his manager, has shown his ability to play in an array of positions throughout the campaign, with his recent form suggesting just how threatening he could be in the final third.
In his previous two games for Wolves, Ait-Nouri has secured two goals and an assist, giving O’Neil something to consider ahead of the trip to Villa Park.
One thing that the visitors will need in order to break down Villa is a player able to cause havoc in the wide areas, particularly on the left given the strength and form of Ezri Konsa.
Judging by his numbers, Ait-Nouri could be just the man to do that, with him ranking in the top 2% of fullbacks in the Premier League for his average of 2.38 successful take-ons per 90 this season, via FBref.
It will take something special to get past Konsa given his dazzling display to keep Brazilian superstar Vinicius Junior quiet on international break however, Ait-Nouri’s recent form could see him unlock the Englishman.
With the direct and rapid threat of Hwang and Neto absent, O’Neil must find a way to restore the danger to his front line, with his versatile Algerian having the ability to step up in the final third.