What will Wolves' starting line-up be against Bournemouth?

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Following the appointment of Julen Lopetegui just before the break for the FIFA World Cup, Wolverhampton Wanderers have been much-improved and their come from behind win at bottom-of-the-table Southampton last weekend, after going down to ten men when trailing, made it back-to-back victories after their 3-0 hammering of Liverpool at the start of February.

They added some real quality in the January transfer window with the likes of Matheus Cunha and last week’s match winning goal scorer Joao Gomes.

Craig Dawson was brought in, too, in January and he has immediately formed a good partnership with Max Kilman, allowing Nathan Collins to continue his development but from out of the spotlight with the experienced Dawson offering real solidity. Nelson Semedo is set to retain his place at right-back and it is between Hugo Bueno and Rayan Ait Nouri for the left-back slot.

Lopetegui tended to favour a 4-4-2 system at Sevilla and that could be used in a hybrid style this weekend with the 4-4-2 transforming into 4-2-3-1 at times. The two central midfielders are expected to be Ruben Neves and Joao Gomes, despite Joao Moutinho’s general return to form. Mario Lemina is suspended following his red card at St Mary’s last weekend and Boubacar Traore remains sidelined with injury.

Out-wide, Pablo Sarabia is expected to start with the former PSG man offering a precise creativity to complement the other side of the pitch which Adama Traore marauding forward. Adama will be permanently on the wing, whilst Sarabia and Cunha can rotate from central attacking midfield and the wing but Cunha would push up-front alongside Raul Jimenez, ahead of Diego Costa who is yet to score for Wolves.

Daniel Podence, who could play in the aforementioned flexible Sarabia role, is a doubt for the match due to injury but offers further impressive depth, alongside Pedro Neto, who has returned from injury.

Diego Costa is unlikely to start with Jimenez showing signs of returning to form, albeit not in terms of goals being scored. Sasa Kalajdzic remains sidelined with his anterior cruciate ligament injury and Hwang Hee-chan will also be missing due to injury.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno; Neves, Gomes; A. Traore, Sarabia, Cunha; Jimenez

UNAVAILABLE: Chiquinho (Injured), Lemina (Suspended), Kalajdzic (Injured), B. Traore (Injured), Hwang (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: Podence (Injured)