Wolves return to action in the Premier League this evening against Burnley, with one of Gary O’Neil’s stars now needing to be back to his best to make the difference.
After Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Wolves will be eager to build some form again in the Premier League, with relegation candidates Burnley up next for the Old Gold to battle.
Gary O’Neil’s side faces a trip to Turf Moor this evening in the Premier League, in what is surely a must-win game if the Midlands club are to push for a European finish.
The loss against the Villans highlighted Wolves’ current injury woes, with the chances created in the first half coming to nothing as O’Neil’s side were stripped bare of attacking quality.
With Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha all absent, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the Old Gold to overcome at Villa however, tonight’s duel against the Clarets could provide the squad with a shot at redemption.
Wolves team news vs Burnley
On the back of what has been a horrendous few weeks on the injury front for Wolves, O’Neil gave a more positive update on the squad’s availability ahead of the Burnley clash.
After missing the Villa game, the manager revealed that Cunha will “definitely” be in the squad to face the Clarets, in what will be a huge boost for the visitors.
As relayed by Express and Star, the boss also hinted that defender Craig Dawson could “possibly” be involved however, the fixture will come too soon for Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Adding Cunha back into the fold is a significant plus for the attack however, one star that has been available throughout must now improve his performance level in order to break down Burnley.
Pablo Sarabia must return to his best to threaten Burnley
Pablo Sarabia has had the hard task of being Wolves’ only senior representative to put things into action in the final third in recent weeks.
Whether the Spaniard has been joined by makeshift attacker Mario Lemina or academy jewel Leon Chiwome, the 31-year-old has been relied on as the primary source of the Old Gold’s threat.
Against Villa, the former PSG man was handed a mere 5/10 match rating by Express and Star journalist Liam Keen, who insisted that the Spain international must do “a lot more” going forward.
“Sarabia was too lightweight in possession and had little attacking threat throughout the game. He must do a lot more.”
The £90k-a-week gem was influential in terms of making the most out of things when he was on the ball against Villa, recording an impressive five key passes although, numbers don’t tell the whole story.
Sarabia must show his true quality this evening against Burnley, who could be undone by a clever piece of play by the veteran technician if he can replicate his numbers against Villa to better effect.