Vitor Pereira has named his starting XI for Wolves’ Premier League match with Newcastle United.
The Wanderers return to Premier League action this evening at St. James’ Park, and a big test looms.
Newcastle are on an eight-game winning streak in all competitions and are looking very strong at the moment under Eddie Howe.
They have hopes of finishing in the top four and will see tonight’s game as a good three-point opportunity given Wolves’ position in the table.
That said, Eddie Howe has noticed some changes at Wolves since the arrival of Vitor Pereira, such as more confidence, a connection between 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 match at this ground is a concern ahead of the game.
But the fans believe in Pereira, who has now named his starting XI.
Wolves team to play Newcastle – Matheus Cunha on the bench, Rodrigo Gomes keeps his place
Wolves have just announced the team that will start at St. James’ Park this evening, and there is just one change from the team that started against Bristol City.
Jose Sa returns in goal, after Sam Johnstone crashed out in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Nelson Semedo might have regained his starting place after recovering from injury, but Pereira made a big call to keep Rodrigo Gomes at right-back, in a big show of confidence in the youngster.
Matt Doherty, Santiago Bueno and Emmanuel Agbadou feature among the back three, with Rayan Ait-Nouri at left-back.
In midfield, Andre and Joao Gomes start again.
Matheus Cunha returns to the matchday squad after his two-match 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.
Hwang’s inclusion will certainly spark a strong reaction, with the South Korean having played poorly in the last two games.
But Hwang has an excellent score against Newcastle, and that could have been a factor in his selection against Cunha, who could lack sharpness in the match.
Interestingly, there is no Mario Lemina in the matchday squad, although Pereira has said he will be available for the match. Of course, there is currently strong speculation that he could leave the club this month.
What Pereira said about Newcastle
Speaking about Newcastle during his press conference, Pereira said: “They are a strong team, but I don’t know any perfect team.
“We have 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 also have qualities, we have high quality players.
“We have to explore our key points and try to nullify them and try not to allow them to play the way they like to play.
“Eddie is a great coach. When I look at a manager, I don’t look at what he says, but at his teams and what they build, and Newcastle are a very strong team. Of course, Eddie has been at Newcastle for a long time and it’s easier to build something strong, and that’s my intention at Wolverhampton: to build something strong.
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