Gary O’Neil could trial a new position for Tommy Doyle in Wolves’ pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace.
After beating West Ham 3-1 in their US pre-season tour opener, Wolves will be on the hunt to record a win against Crystal Palace.
Gary O’Neil’s side are preparing to battle Palace in the early hours of Thursday morning, with Oliver Glasner’s team providing another positive challenge for the Old Gold.
The fixture will give the boss another chance to see how his new arrivals fare, as well as allowing him to trial familiar faces in new positions.
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Wolves should start Tommy Doyle in place of Matheus Cunha against Crystal Palace
One blow ahead of the fixture is that Wolves will be without Matheus Cunha for the remainder of their US pre-season tour.
The Brazilian sustained a hamstring injury against West Ham, with O’Neil then confirming he won’t risk the 25-year-old again in the States.
It’s a shame for Cunha, who was thriving in the number 10 role playing just behind the presence of Jorgen Strand Larsen however, it could prompt the boss to trial something different.
When assessing who could operate well in the creative midfield role, Tommy Doyle emerges as a player who has the skill set to excel further upfield.
While game time was difficult to secure last season due to Wolves’ competition in midfield, the vacancy in attack due to Cunha’s absence could pave the way for Doyle to impress.
A creative role would suit Doyle
In the Championship whilst on loan at Sheffield United in 2022/23, Doyle impressed in the final third, seeing him rank as one of the best in his position in several areas.
As per FBref, the Englishman ranked in the top 2% of midfielders for his average of 0.58 goal-creating actions per 90, reinforcing why O’Neil should view the 22-year-old as a forward option.
O’Neil has seen first-hand the technical brilliance of Doyle during pre-season, as journalist Nathan Judah lauded the midfielder’s ‘exceptional’ ability in training, via Express and Star.
The manager could uncover treasure by trialling the Manchester City academy graduate in advanced areas of the pitch, with the duel against Palace the perfect environment to put Doyle to the test.
Wolves fans will hope to see the players perform at a level similar to the win against West Ham, with kick-off coming at 01:00 GMT on Thursday.