Wolverhampton Wanderers will be facing Manchester United for the third time this year when the two sides meet on Saturday. They met twice earlier this month in the FA Cup, where United knocked Wolves out in the 3rd round replay. And Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will be seeking revenge as they look to return to winning ways, especially after a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the last game.
Here is how Wolves could line up against the Red Devils this weekend.
Predicted 3-4-3 Wolves Lineup Vs Manchester United
Formation: 3-4-3
Defence
Nuno will have to choose between Romain Saiss and Willy Boly, who made his return against Liverpool, in central defence. We expect the Portuguese mastermind to opt for the former since Boly is not yet 100% fit. Hence, the coach will look to ease him into the action before fully integrating him back to the starting eleven.
Saiss is likely to be partnered by the defensive duo of Conor Coady and Leander Dendoncker, thus forming the revered three-man backline for the Wolves. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the Man United attack this weekend.
Nuno is unlikely to make too many changes in the wingback slots. Matt Doherty and Jonny occupied those roles against Liverpool, and we expect both of them to retain their place in the starting lineup.
And finally, in goal, there is no one replacing Rui Patricio. The Portuguese international will be looking for only his fifth clean sheet of this Premier League campaign.
Midfield
The midfield is set to remain unchanged, with Nuno having limited options to choose from other than the reliable Portuguese duo of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves. Their work could be made tougher by the addition of Bruno Fernandes, who is tipped to receive his Manchester United debut this weekend. It will be interesting to see how they cope with their compatriot.
Attack
Daniel Podence is poised to make his Wolves debut on Saturday after joining from Olympiacos in January. However, Diogo Jota is also pushing for a start, having returned from injury recently. Hence, we expect Nuno to utilise Podence as a sub while Jota could start at left-wing.
The ex-Atletico Madrid starlet could be partnered by Adama Traore, on the opposite flank and central striker Raul Jimenez, who is currently the club’s top goalscorer with 11 goals in the Premier League.
