Wanderers return to action at Molineux as they visit Wolves for the first time in nine years to kick off big back-to-back away games.
Steven Schumacher’s side will be looking for a second away win of the season to bounce back from Saturday’s 2-1 loss at home to Stoke City with a trip to Southampton to follow on Saturday.
Wolves – who spent eight years in the Premier League before being relegated at the end of last season – also go into the game on the back of a defeat after suffering a second loss of the campaign at Middlesbrough last Saturday.
Cesar Peixoto’s side currently sits fifth in the table – four points behind the top two with a game in hand – as they renew a rivalry with Wanderers that went on hold when the ‘Old Gold’ won the Championship title at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Form Guide
Wanderers had won two in a row before Saturday’s loss to Stoke City. The Whites have won one, drawn one and lost two of their away fixtures so far to sit 17th in the table.
Wolves are unbeaten at Molineux since relegation last season, with two wins and a draw from their opening three home Championship fixtures.
The Black Country outfit won just three times at home in the Premier League last season and signed off with a nine-game winless run before changing managers in the summer with the arrival of Portugal’s Cesar Peixoto to take on his first coaching post in this country.
Their two league defeats so far this season have come at potential promotion rivals West Ham and Middlesbrough.
What they say
Steven Schumacher: “Night games are always that little bit more special anyway, under the lights, so hopefully we can go and perform as well as we did at Sheffield United and go and take the game to Wolves in the areas that we can and, hopefully, we can come away from it with some points.”
“I’ll just be trying to pick a team that we think is going to give us a chance to compete. It is important in a three-game week, especially three really tough games that we've got, that everyone is as fresh as possible, but we won't be making changes just for the sake of it.
“We'll try and pick a team that gives us a chance to get a result from the games, so we'll see how it goes. Certainly going into Tuesday we won't think ahead to Saturday's game (at Southampton). We've got to deal with the one that's right in front of us first.”
Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto: “We have a lot of games in these two weeks. We have to manage the players’ fitness and recovery.
“I spoke before the Middlesbrough game and I have trust in all of the players. I am going to rotate some of the players. I have to analyse, look at players we need to manage, and look at the opposition to try and put the right characteristics of the players to win at home.
“We are going to put a competitive team out for sure. I don’t have any doubt. The way we reacted to when we conceded (the only goal at Middlesbrough), only a strong team reacts like that.
“I am calm. I don’t like to lose, but I am calm, because I liked the way the team reacted when we conceded the goal. We showed character, we showed passion, we showed a strong mentality, a stability. These things are important.”
Team News
Wanderers are still without defender Chris Forino, who has begun light training ahead of a potential return from a groin injury next week.
Right-back Luca Stephenson played for 60 minutes in the U21s on Monday night as he builds up his match fitness after being sidelined since the opening game of the season.
Wolves - whose raft of summer signings included former England full-back Kieran Trippier - are missing midfielder Boubacar Traore and September signing Bertrand Traore, who has made just one appearance so far after joining from Sunderland.
The West Midlanders are also checking on the fitness of winger Rodrigo Gomes’ fitness after he was forced off during the second half of their game against Middlesborough at the weekend to threaten his ever-present record.
Mexico striker Raul Jimenez – who has scored three times since returning to Wolves from Fulham this summer – hasn’t played since picking up a knee injury in mid-September and remains sidelined.
Kick-Off
Tuesday, 13th October 7:45pm
Referee
Tim Robinson
Tickets & Wanderers TV
A reminder that tickets for the game go off sale at 12 noon today (Tuesday), with a limited number available to purchase before the deadline. Our club travel is sold out.
Overseas subscribers (except for Ireland and the Nordi regions) are able to watch the live on Wanderers TV, while our UK-based subscribers can listen to the full match commentary with John McGinlay and Derek Clark. To sign up to Wanderers TV, or buy a match pass for audio commentary, click HERE