Wolves face Fulham this Friday in the Premier League – and Mario Lemina should be considered for a start after serving his suspension.
Wanderers travel to Craven Cottage looking to get back to winning ways after the disappointing defeat to Bournemouth.
Wolves have been dragged back into the scrap after the 1-0 loss, and Julen Lopetegui was frustrated with the way his side played for the final 20 minutes of the game.
Fulham will be a very tough game.
They are flying high at the moment under Marco Silva, with the possibility of European football acting as the wind in their sails.
It’s where Wolves would like to be, and fans are hopeful the team will be in that position next season under Lopetegui.
Lopetegui will be carefully considering what team to select against the in-form Cottagers. But one man who should be starting is Lemina.
The Gabon international is available again, after his ridiculous sending off against Southampton.
Lemina has proven to be a very shrewd signing so far, and the Wolves midfield does have a better feel to it with him in there.
He has brought that tenacity, bite and aggression that had previously been lacking.
Is is perhaps easy to say the £10 million star was really missed against Bournemouth because of the end result.
But it did actually just feel like Wolves were worse off without his industry. Ruben Neves had to sit a bit deeper, and we saw against Liverpool how effective he can be further forwards because of the protection Lemina provides.
After that game, Dave Edwards called him ‘formidable’.
Mario Lemina has to start for Wolves against his old club Fulham
This will be a hard game and Fulham are a very competitive side.
It is important that Lemina starts this game to provide that steel, physicality and energy.
He’ll likely be raring to go after that disgraceful sending off against Southampton, and what better motivation than to come back strongly against another of his former clubs in Fulham.
Lopetegui will need to decide whether he comes in to play in a two with Ruben Neves, or a three with Neves and Matheus Nunes.
Nunes was off the pace against Bournemouth, and might be lucky to keep his place.