Burnley v Wolves - match preview
Everything you need to know as Wolves look to cause an upset against the league leaders.
You couldn't really think up a place Wolves would less like to visit than Burnley right now.
That's not a slight on the sporadically quaint Lancashire market town, but a reflection on the fact that Sean Dyche's team are the most in-form of any in the land, writes Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers.
Six wins from six, or seven in eight, have seen them race clear at the top of the Championship with just nine games to go.
Rivals Hull and Middlesbrough meet on Friday night, meaning one or both of them will drop points, and the Clarets will look to take full advantage against Wolves.
As for Kenny Jackett's team, well it's a free hit.
They're expected to lose. Anything more is a huge bonus, more for morale than for the scores on the doors as the season is effectively over already.
Last week's shut-out versus Blues, the return of a buoyant Jed Wallace and Wolves' fair record against the big teams this season (wins over Brighton and Derby, plus draws against Hull and Burnley at Molineux) offer some hope.
But it would be major, and very welcome, shock if Wolves took anything from this.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche is renowned for naming an unchanged team and he's likely to do so again tomorrow.
Ashley Barnes is on the comeback trail from a serious knee injury but this game comes too soon for him.
Wallace is expected to go straight into the starting XI for Wolves, who have no fresh injury concerns.
Jackett's main selection dilemma is over whether to unleash Michal Zyro from the start, but mindful of the Pole doing 'too much too soon' when he first joined in January, a spot on the bench is more likely.
And whether Joe Mason will start is anyone's guess.
James Henry and Mike Williamson remain frustrating absent but Jackett said yesterday he hopes to have them available after the international break.
Of their other injury victims, Nouha Dicko, Jordan Graham, Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Razak Boukari are out for the season.
David Edwards is in line to return next month from his broken metatarsal.
LIKELY LINE UPS
Burnley (4-4-2): Heaton; Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward; Boyd, Barton, Jones, Arfield; Vokes, Gray. Subs: Robinson, Darikwa, Tarkowski, Taylor, Kightly, Marney, Hennings.
Wolves (4-3-3): Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth, Hause, Doherty; Coady, Price, Saville; Wallace, Sigurdarson, Helan. Subs: Martinez, Deslandes, Rowe, McDonald, Byrne, Zyro, Mason.
Andre Gray: Just the 22 goals for Wolverhampton-born Gray (who was on Wolves' books as a youngster), who has more than justified the reported £9m fee Burnley paid for him, firing them to the top of the Championship table.
FORM GUIDE
Not only have Burnley won six on the spin, they're also unbeaten in 2016 – a run of 14 matches.
They also have the best home record in the Championship and have scored more goals home and away than any other team (even Fulham), with 60 in 37 matches.
In those six victories Andre Gray has scored four goals and Sam Vokes five.
Wolves' form has improved of late, with two wins and a draw in their last four matches.
But they're yet to win away from Molineux in five games, since beating Brighton on New Year's Day.
MATCH ODDS
Unsurprisingly the Clarets are red hot favourites, at 11/17 with some bookies.
Wolves are 5/1, slimmer odds than they were handed for the recent trip to Middlesbrough.
There are a host of ex-Wolves players ready to do the dirty on their old club and Sam Vokes, who's scored five in his last six appearances, is 4/1 to score first.
Michael Kightly is 9/1, David Jones the same price and Stephen Ward 33/1, with Gray the favourite at just 3/1.
Bjorn Sigurdarson's search for a goal continues and he's 10/1 to net first, or 80/1 to score in a 1-0 Wolves victory.
For Wolves to be winning at half time and Burnley at full time you can get 25/1. Or it's 50/1 for the opposite to happen.
November 3, 2012 (Championship), Burnley 2 Wolves 0. Dyche made a dream start to life at Burnley with a 2-0 win in his first match in charge. Martin Paterson and Charlie Austin netted in a fairly regulation victory.
March 13, 2010 (Premier League), Burnley 1 Wolves 2. A big, big win for Mick McCarthy's team who pulled three points clear of the 18th-placed Clarets in a relegation dogfight. Matt Jarvis opened the scoring and Adlene Guedioura's shot deflected off Clarke Carlisle for the second, with Steven Thompson scoring Burnley's reply.
February 14, 2009 (Championship), Burnley 1 Wolves 0. Wolves were having a mini wobble on their way to the title, with this their fourth defeat in seven and a second on the bounce. Chris McCann's sixth-minute goal won the points.
March 15, 2008 (Championship), Burnley 1 Wolves 3. Seyi Olofinjana and Michael Gray put Wolves 2-0 up inside 16 minutes at Turf Moor. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake added a third after the break and old-boy Ade Akinbiyi's strike was only a consolation. Wolves lost just one more game that season but missed out on the play-offs on goal difference.
August 19, 2006 (Championship), Burnley 0 Wolves 1. Jemal Johnson, who partnered Leon Clarke up front, netted an early winner in McCarthy's fourth game in charge.
PRE-MATCH MANAGER QUOTES
Sean Dyche: "The focus here does remain on the next game and I don't just speak to the media about that.
"I mention it all the time to the players. That clarity of thought keeps you grounded and ready for the next challenge; it's as simple as that.
"(Wolves) have been a bit up and down, but Kenny (Jackett) has done a good job over a number of years there and he's got them back to a stable position.
"They are trying to earn the right, like everyone else, and I know Kenny won't just let the season fizzle out for no reason.
Kenny Jackett: "The pressure is very much on us to finish this season very well.
"In any one-off game the Championship is very competitive.
"For us, we respect Burnley, we know they're a very good team but we want to go up there, play well and give them problems.
"It's a good challenge. We want to test ourselves against the best."
THE REF
Fred Graham (Essex): Only one red card in 25 matches for Mr Graham, who has mostly officiated at League One or League Two level, handing out 100 bookings.
Was at Molineux for Wolves' recent 2-2 draw with Bolton, dishing out no cards but arguably giving Bolton a soft free kick from which they equalised in injury time.
Was also in charge for the madcap 6-4 win over Rotherham in 2014.
PREDICTION
Extremely hard to see anything other than a home win.
There is hope of goals in Zyro, Wallace and Mason, but can Wolves stop the prolific Gray/Vokes partnership?
A good performance but a 2-1 defeat.
