Wolves are set to face Newcastle on Sunday as Gary O’Neil searches for his first Premier League win of the season.
A long international break has now come to an end and the domestic season is once again back underway.
Wolves struggled in their opening three Premier League matches, and currently sit in the relegation zone.
However, O’Neil made multiple late signings on deadline day to help recover the Old Gold’s form.
Newcastle will be the first test for Wolves after the break, with Molineux hosting the affair. The match is another big opportunity for the club to pick up its first league win, with numerous tough tests on the horizon.
Therefore, Molineux News has listed three players O’Neil simply has to start against Newcastle to give Wolves the best chance of achieving all three points.
Sam Johnstone
The deadline day signing made his first start for the Old Gold against Nottingham Forest and impressed.
In between the sticks, the goalkeeper pulled off multiple impressive saves to ensure Wolves picked up their first point of the season.
However, Sam Johnstone no doubt faces difficult competition from the Old Gold’s traditional number one Jose Sa.
Despite rumours that Sa may leave Wolves, the ‘keeper has stayed and is set to challenge for the number one jersey.
For the Newcastle fixture, O’Neil must stick with Johnstone. The Englishman proved himself to be reliable against Forest while Sa has clearly struggled in the opening games.
Read more: Which Wolves games are on TV this September?
Andre
Another deadline day signing, there was plenty of hype around Molineux when Wolves announced the capture of Andre.
The Brazilian international built up a big reputation in his home country before making the move to England. The Old Gold supporters got a first glimpse of the midfielder in a late cameo against Forest.
During the international break, Andre was a standout player for Brazil as he continued his form.
Against Newcastle, Wolves need his quality on the field if they are to pick up their first victory of the season.
While it will no doubt be a difficult choice for O’Neil on who to drop from the team, Andre could be a game-changer at Molineux.
Craig Dawson
Craig Dawson returned to Wolves’ starting XI in the Premier League against Forest and has to keep his place for the Newcastle tie.
In the two previous fixtures, O’Neil opted for a Toti Gomes and Yerson Mosquera centre-back partnership which capitulated against Chelsea in a 6-2 defeat.
However, as soon as Dawson returned to the line-up, the backline looked far more secure and disciplined and the Englishman was arguably man of the match against Forest.
With Wolves set to come up against the formidable Alexander Isak, O’Neil cannot take any risks and must stick with Dawson to give the hosts the best chance of a positive result.