Eleven goal striker, Hwang Hee-Chan is “available for the weekend”, says manager Gary O’Neil, as Wolves lineup for a trip to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur on February 17.
Wolves Predicted Lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League Action
How Wolves Have Lined-Up Recently
Pedro Neto has resumed his firm place in the starting eleven after returning from a lengthy hamstring injury and made an immediate impact. He is nailed on to start in every game he is fit for.
There has been a selection dilemma in central midfield, with the manager having to choose between Joao Gomes and Tommy Doyle. The Brazilian started in a disappointing 2-0 home loss to Brentford at the weekend, and may not have done enough to retain his place, but it is possible that his bullish physicality will be an asset against a technically superior Spurs side. Tommy Doyle offers slicker passing and helps knit attacks together, but may be surplus to requirements in a match where the Black Country side will surely look to slow down and break on the counter.
There has been continuity in the heart of the defence, with the trio of Toti Gomes, Max Kilman and Craig Dawson starting whenever they are fit. However, a particularly poor showing from Dawson against Brentford could force a change, with the young Uruguayan centre-back, Santiago Bueno chomping at the bit from the bench.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s return from the African Cup of Nations has resulted in his immediate return to the starting eleven, and his bizarre deployment as a makeshift number nine against Chelsea suggests that the manager has a lot of faith in his abilities.
Most notable for The Wanderers is the return of Hwang Hee-Chan. The prolific South Korean returned from the Asian Cup last week, but a tight calf meant that he was not involved in the last match. The manager, who has called him “a dream” with “fantastic quality” earlier in the season, has declared the striker “available.”
Wolves Recent Form and Tactics
They were on a great run of form before losing to Brentford last weekend. A 4-2 win over Chelsea, featuring a Matheus Cunha hat trick and victory in the FA Cup Black Country derby against West Brom instilled great positivity around Molineux.
The team’s ability to counterattack with pace and venom has been on display all season, picking up big wins against Manchester City and Tottenham in the home fixture. It is generally against sides that sit deep and absorb pressure that O’Neil’s team have been found lacking in creativity, but that is unlikely to be how the match in North London will play out.
In goal, Jose Sa has shown that his distribution and decision-making can put his team in hot water, so the North London side might do well to operate a high press to force errors.
The Wanderers will line up with a back five off the ball, with central midfielders dropping deep to shield the defence. On the ball, the entire side will move up, with wing backs tucking in as central midfielders, and wide centre-backs will spread out as makeshift fullbacks.
Notable Wolves Lineup Absences
The main absence will be Matheus Cunha, who was forced off in the 23rd minute against the Bees with a hamstring injury. His projected time out of the lineup is yet to be determined, but the game with the Lilywhites will surely be too premature for the Brazilian striker.
The return of Hwang will cushion the blow, but he is not a like-for-like replacement, and the forward line may look unbalanced without somebody able to hold the ball up or break in central positions.
Wolves Predicted Lineup
Jose Sa – GK
Rayan Ait-Nouri – LB
Max Kilman – CB
Craig Dawson – CB
Toti Gomes – CB
Nelson Semedo – RB
Joao Gomes – CM
Mario Lemina – CM
Pablo Sarabia – CAM
Pedro Neto – FW
Hwang Hee-Chan – FW
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