Vitor Pereira has named his starting XI for Wolves’ Premier League game with Newcastle United.
Wanderers return to Premier League action tonight at St. James’ Park, and there’s a big test on the horizon.
Newcastle are on an eight-game winning streak across all competitions and are looking very strong right now under Eddie Howe.
They’ve got hopes of finishing in the top four, and will see tonight’s game as a good opportunity for three points given Wolves’ position in the table.
That said, Eddie Howe has noticed some changes in Wolves since the arrival of Vitor Pereira, such as more confidence, a connection between the players and manager, and an identity.
Wolves are capable of getting a result, but it certainly won’t be easy.
Wolves have never kept a clean sheet at St. James’ Park in the Premier League, and Newcastle’s habit of scoring in this fixture at this ground is a concern heading into the game.
But fans believe in Pereira, who has now named his starting XI.
Wolves team to play Newcastle – Matheus Cunha on the bench, Rodrigo Gomes keeps place
Wolves have just announced the team that will start at St. James’ Park tonight, and there is just one change to the side that started against Bristol City.
Jose Sa returns in goal, after Sam Johnstone got a run out in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Nelson Semedo might have reclaimed his starting berth after recovering from injury, but Pereira has made a big call to keep Rodrigo Gomes in at right-wing back, in a huge show of faith in the youngster.
Matt Doherty, Santiago Bueno and Emmanuel Agbadou feature as a back three, with Rayan Ait-Nouri at left wing-back.
In midfield, Andre and Joao Gomes start once more.
Matheus Cunha returns to the matchday squad after his two-game suspension and injury but is only on the bench like Semedo, with Hwang Hee-chan keeping his place. Goncalo Guedes is on the right and Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line.
The inclusion of Hwang is sure to prompt a strong reaction, with the South Korean having played poorly in the last two games.
But Hwang has a great scoring record against Newcastle, and that might have been a factor in his selection over Cunha, who could be lacking match sharpness.
Interestingly there is no Mario Lemina at all in the matchday squad, despite Pereira saying he’d be available for the game. Of course, there is strong speculation at the moment that he could be leaving the club this month.
What Pereira has said about Newcastle
Speaking about Newcastle at his press conference, Pereira said: “It is a strong team, but I don’t know any perfect team.
“We need to understand very well the key points, the tactical points of this team, the technical points, the individual points of this team and with our game – because we have qualities also, we have players with high quality.
“We need to explore our key points and to try to cancel them out and try to not allow them to play in the way that they like to play.
“Eddie is a top coach. When I look at a coach, I look not at what they say, but at their teams and what they build, and Newcastle is a very strong team. Of course, Eddie has been at Newcastle for a long time and it’s easier to build something strong, and this is my intention in Wolverhampton – to build something strong.”
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