Wolverhampton Wanderers welcome Nottingham Forest to Molineux Stadium on Monday in a crucial Premier League encounter.
The hosts will be looking to bounce back after a late equalizer denied them all three points against Tottenham Hotspur last time out. Meanwhile, the visitors arrive in fine form, having won five consecutive league matches to surge into the top four.
Forest’s remarkable turnaround under former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been one of the stories of the season so far.
The Tricky Trees have defied expectations and currently occupy a Champions League berth, with their impressive 2-0 victory over Everton on December 29 highlighting their credentials.
In contrast, Wolves have struggled for consistency and find themselves in the relegation zone, though a point against Spurs has provided a glimmer of hope.
Team News
Wolves will be without the suspended Matheus Cunha, who has been a key figure in their attack this season. Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Yerson Mosquera, Boubacar Traore, Pablo Sarabia and Toti Gomes are all sidelined through injury, while the fitness of Andre is also in doubt.
Vitor Pereira may turn to Hwang Hee-chan and Joao Gomes to fill the void left by Cunha’s absence.
Forest, on the other hand, are relatively injury-free, with only long-term absentees Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare unavailable.
Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi are expected to return from their respective issues, while Ryan Yates is back from suspension.
Chris Wood, who scored in the win over Everton, will lead the line for the visitors as he seeks to become the club’s highest Premier League scorer under a single manager.
Predicted Lineups
Wolverhampton Wanderers: (3-4-2-1)
Sa;
Doherty, Bueno, Dawson;
Semedo, Doyle, J. Gomes, Ait-Nouri;
Hwang, Guedes;
Larsen
Nottingham Forest: (4-2-3-1)
Sels;
Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams;
Yates, Anderson;
Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi;
Wood
Despite Wolves’ ability to find the net at Molineux, the absence of Cunha could prove pivotal. Forest, buoyed by their recent form and the return of several key players, are tipped to secure another valuable victory and continue their push for a top-four finish.
