Wolves host league new comers Millwall this Saturday as they look to continue their promotion challenge. Wolves are currently 4th in the Championship. But a win against Millwall could see them move as high as 2nd.
Wolves drew 0-0 in their last Championship game. They were held by Championship strugglers Brentford and will be looking to right those wrongs on Saturday. Here is how they could line up.
Formation: 3-4-3
New boss Nuno Espírito Santo has implemented the 3-4-3 since he took over Wolves earlier this year. It is a very attacking formation which works well for Wolves as they have some very gifted attackers, Most notably Jota who is on loan from FC Porto. The 3-4-3 has worked quite well for Wolves so far this season and there is no reason why Santo will be looking to change it anytime soon.
GK: John Ruddy
Ruddy is one of Wolves’ many summer signings this year. He has had a decent start to life in a Wolves shirt. Ruddy has helped Wolves keep three clean sheets in five games and has made some very important saves already this season.
Wolves’ other main keeper is Carl Ikeme. Unfortunately, Carl was diagnosed with acute leukaemia earlier this year and will not be playing for Wolves. So, Ruddy will likely start every game this season.
CB: Willy Boly
Boly is another of Santo’s new signings. Boly linked up with Santo after the two spent time together at FC Porto. So far the defender looks to be a solid signing.
He plays well in Wolves new system, he has played every minute of league football so far this season and looks to have cemented a starting place for the foreseeable future.
CB: Roderick Miranda
Miranda is yet another signing brought in by Wolves new boss. Miranda like Santo is Portuguese and Santo clearly new Roderick as he played for Rio Ave in the Liga Nos when Santo managed Porto.
Miranda like Boly is proving to be a good signing. He has also played every Championship minute for Wolves and has helped them keep three clean sheets so far.
CB: Conor Coady
Conor Coady is naturally a central midfielder. However, under Santo, he has taken up a very new role as a centre back. Coady has flourished in this position so far this season despite only playing there nine times in total.
He has been one of Wolves better performers and has also captained them in every Championship game in the 2017/18 season.
RWB: Matt Doherty
Matt Doherty, like Coady, is being deployed in a slightly different role this season. While Doherty’s position change is not as drastic as Coady’s he has still had to move from a right back to a right wing back/ midfielder.
Doherty has done a decent job in this new spot so far this season. However, Doherty knows how hard it is to pin down a starting place, stating in a recent interview that, ‘There have been a lot of changes and I have managed to stay in which is what you want to do when you come back for pre-season’. Showing that he is giving it his all fighting for a spot.
CM: Romain Saiss
Saiss is one of only a handful of Wolves players to keep their starting place after Santo took over. So far Saiss has impressed Santo. He has been a main stay in the centre of Wolves midfield all season.
He and Neves have linked up well so far this season. But Wolves did secure the signing of another centre midfielder on deadline day. Alfred N’Diaye joined Wolves on loan from Villarreal for the season meaning Saiss needs to up his game if he wants to keep a starting spot.
CM: Ruben Neves
When Ruben Neves, a man who has played in the Champions League joined Wolves it was one of the shock moves of the transfer window. Neves is just 20 years old and has huge potential.
Wolves, however, managed to convince him to play in the Championship and he has not disappointed so far. He has played very well in every game for Wolves. Neves also scored a goal for Wolves when they beat fellow promotion rivals Hull City 3-2.
LWB: Barry Douglas
Douglas is another new signing for Wolves this summer. Surprisingly enough though, he is not from Portugal nor was he playing in the Liga Nos when Wolves signed him. Instead, he is Scottish and was playing in Turkey.
Either way, Douglas has very much impressed since signing for Wolves. Douglas has played his wing back role very well. In his four Championship appearances, he has scored one and assisted two. A very impressive record for a full back/left mid.
RW: Ivan Cavaleiro
With star forward Helder Costa still out injured, Wolves have had a slight shortage in the wing area. One player who has attempted to fill Costa’s boots is Ivan Cavaleiro.
Despite not starting a league game this season, Cavaleiro has scored one and assisted one in four appearances. This shows he is a quality player and Santo should really consider starting him against Millwall.
ST: Leo Bonatini
The striker spot for Wolves has been somewhat controversial this season. Many Wolves fans expected them to sign a big name striker to help them challenge for promotion. Instead, Wolves have sold Nouha Dicko to Hull City.
They are now left with just Bonatini and 19 years old Enobakhare to get the goals they need to secure promotion. Bonatini is probably the better of the two. So far this season he has scored two in five Championship games. One of which was gifted to him by Boro’s Daniel Ayala on the opening day.
With Wolves failing to bring in a big name striker, Bonatini will be under a lot of pressure to deliver this season.
LW: Diogo Jota
Jota like Neves was another shock name when Wolves announced they had signed him. Unlike Neves Jota is just a loan. But either way, he is a quality player who has competed in and scored in the Champions League.
Jota has done well down the left-hand side for Wolves so far. He has scored one and assisted one in five games. Given his quality and the fact, Wolves are short up front this season with Costa out, Jota is likely to start every game he’s fit.
This is how they could line up:
