#1 Double blow for the run-in
Two of Wolves’ shining lights at the back this season have been Maximilian Kilman and Nelson Semedo, but the pair’s campaigns have sadly ended on a disappointing note due to injury. Kilman has missed the last two having gone down in training, while Semedo was withdrawn during last weekend’s clash with Brighton, which means neither will face Chelsea or Wolves’ final three opponents. The pair have played 62 times between them under Lage, but now their places are up for grabs for the final four, and wolves.co.uk assesses the options.
On the right, Jonny replaced Semedo for the final stages of the Seagulls defeat, and filled the void during the Portuguese’s previous injury, when he bagged goals against Leeds United and Aston Villa. When he plays on the right, it leaves Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcal to battle it out on the left. Should Jonny be played on the left, Ki-Jana Hoever comes into contention – he’s not featured since the start of March but is back fit and involved on a matchday. Romain Saiss has taken Kilman’s shirt for the last two and has been a more regular figure than Willy Boly the other side of Conor Coady this term, but after defeat to Brighton, will Lage be assessing his options? Toti is likely the man next in line, having stepped in admirably back in the winter. He last played against Norwich City in the Emirates FA Cup back in February and would love another chance to impress before the season’s out.
Gutted to miss the rest of the season. Nevertheless, Time to recover and support the boys 💪 pic.twitter.com/57G7AOdNXF
— Maximilian Kilman (@maxkilman) May 5, 2022
#2 Happy travels
Although life on the road hasn’t been fruitful in the past month, losing on trips to Newcastle United and Burnley, Wolves’ record still makes for better reading away from Molineux. 26 of Wolves’ 49 points have come away from home, leaving Lage’s men with the seventh best away record in the division. Trips to the capital have been a mixed bag – victories at Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford are outweighed by losses at Arsenal, Crystal Palace and West Ham United, so with one final trip to London ahead, that record could do with being evened out. Overall, Wolves have been defeated in four of their last six trips to London Premier League grounds – as many as they had in their previous 20 trips to the capital, where the old gold were previously strong.
Lage’s men last won on the road up on Merseyside in March, when Coady headed the only goal in a win over Everton. With their season concluding in the same city later this month, getting back on track before then will be the target for Lage, as he takes his side to Stamford Bridge. One snag, to search for Wolves’ last win at Stamford Bridge, you have to go all the way back to March 1979.
#3 A mixed bag at the Bridge
Thomas Tuchel’s side are currently five points ahead of Tottenham who sit in fifth, so look set for another season in the Champions League next time out, but still have work to do if they’re to be certain. Studying Chelsea’s recent form indicates little. Beaten last weekend at relegated-threatened Everton, but previously Chelsea were unlucky to only draw to Manchester United and beat West Ham at home. Then, either side of a cup double, Chelsea were comprehensibly beaten by Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, but put six past Southampton, so are a difficult team to predict. Beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League, but Chelsea have an FA Cup final to look forward to next weekend.
Their last two clashes with the old gold have finished goalless and the Blues have never had three consecutive 0-0 draws against the same opponent in the history of the Premier League. Despite the scoreline, they were two intriguing games. In January 2021, Wolves’ last trip to Stamford Bridge, it was Tuchel’s first game at the helm. Pedro Neto hit the crossbar for Wolves, while debutant Willian Jose produced a crucial block to deny Kai Havertz a late winner. At Molineux this year, it was the same scoreline, but Wolves were the ones left more disappointed. Daniel Podence’s goal was cancelled out by VAR, with Molineux having celebrated and the players back on the halfway line. That afternoon in the thick Molineux fog was the last time Wolves drew 0-0, but given the two club’s recent record, could that change on Saturday?
#4 Turning to Tony
Tony Roberts’ face at the pre-match press conference at Compton Park on Friday afternoon caused some confusion amongst the media, until it was confirmed that head coach Bruno Lage had tested positive for Covid-19. It means Saturday’s trip will be the first Lage has missed since arriving in the West Midlands, and he’ll turn to his coaching staff, including Roberts, to assist at Stamford Bridge. The Portuguese has still managed to play his part from afar in recent days, as Roberts explained: “He’s still been out there from a distance, organising, doing the main part of the work. On the grass it’s been the same.”
For Roberts, it’s a return to West London, but not the side he’s familiar with – the former goalkeeper started his career with QPR, making over 100 appearances between 1987 and 1998, before moving to Millwall. The 52-year-old, as well as looking after the goalkeepers, manages set pieces at Wolves, and identified that as an area to improve when heading to Stamford Bridge. Wolves last scored from a set piece against Leeds, when a clever move off the training ground led to Francisco Trincao’s goal, and Roberts admits that’s been an area of focus this week. He said: “Attacking, we had a meeting this morning about how we can improve things and make it better, with either runs, deliveries, set-up, because we want to improve every game. The last couple of games attacking wise, we haven’t been happy as a group, the staff and the players.” He’ll be hoping the day they put things right comes at Stamford Bridge.
Bruno Lage will miss this weekend's trip to Chelsea after testing positive for Covid-19.
— Wolves (@Wolves) May 6, 2022
Wishing our head coach a swift return! pic.twitter.com/e72od8pjR0
