Preview: Wolves v Bournemouth – Three in a row?

Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers previews the game.

Preamble

Two wins in a row, back in the top 10 of the Premier League and an ideal set of fixtures this weekend for Wolves to leap up as high as seventh.

Too good to be true? Well, with Wolves it invariably can be.

But after a truly miserable run of five defeats in six matches, it seems Nuno Espirito Santo’s team have got their mojo back.

It wasn’t just the fact they deservedly beat Chelsea and Newcastle, it was the manner in which Nuno changed tactics and personnel to engineer two important results.

We saw rugged long balls at Cardiff, a different formation and long throws against Chelsea and then a smart in-game system tweak at Newcastle.

Resting Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez at St James’ Park paid dividends with their fresh and feisty impacts from the bench, while Diogo Jota has come out and then back into the team to good effect, netting his first two goals of the season.

Nuno’s biggest conundrum this weekend lies in midfield. With Ruben Neves not near the levels he produced last season – and with Romain Saiss and Moutinho having arguably impressed more at St James’ Park – would Nuno leave his golden boy out the side? That’s yet to happen during his Wolves tenure, but in dropping Moutinho last weekend he showed that no name is too big to be left out.

Morgan Gibbs-White has been regularly making an impact in the past few weeks but Nuno seems reluctant to start the youngster in a flat 3-4-3 formation, so may need to tweak his system like he did against Chelsea if he wants to accommodate the academy graduate.

Bournemouth are on a run of five defeats in six matches, albeit four of those were against Liverpool, Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs.

Historically they’ve got a good record at Molineux, if only from five matches, but Wolves will be confident of keeping their winning run going ahead of a big home clash against Liverpool next Friday night at a packed Molineux.

Another win this weekend will be their third in a row. The last time they did that in the top flight was back in March 1980.

The opposition

Luke Hatfield spoke to Bournemouth expert Peter Bell to get the Bournemouth lowdown.

Team news

Jonny Castro Otto is back in training and could feature.

The Spaniard has been out for a month with a knee injury picked up on international duty but is doing well in training and Nuno Espirito Santo didn't rule him out of tomorrow, saying all his players were options for the match.

Bournemouth have three players definitely out. Dan Gosling has just had a knee operation, while Lewis Cook and Adam Smith are long-term absentees with knee injuries.

Callum Wilson missed last week's 4-0 defeat to Liverpool but Eddie Howe is hopeful the prolific striker will be fit tomorrow.

Likely line ups

Wolves (3-4-3): Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Vinagre; Costa, Jimenez, Jota. Subs: Ruddy, Hause, Saiss, Gibbs-White, Cavaleiro, Traore, Bonatini.

Bournemouth (4-2-2): Begovic; Francis, S Cook, Ake, Daniels; Brooks, Gosling, Lerma, Fraser; Wilson, King.

Key players

Wolves – Raul Jimenez

Likely to be restored back into the XI after being rested at Newcastle. So crucial to Wolves’ play and movement in the final third – they look a worse team without him.

Bournemouth – Callum Wilson

Just the 10 goals in 18 appearances for Wilson so far this season, including one on his England debut against the USA. Having overcome serious injuries he 26-year-old is coming into his prime and is absolutely central to Bournemouth’s game plan. Sorely missed against Liverpool last weekend but should be fit tomorrow.

The bosses

Nuno Espirito Santo: "It's a tough challenge we face, what is important is that we are ready. I know the big picture (of Bournemouth's recent history), it's really good, you just have to see how Bournemouth plays, they're a very good team."

Eddie Howe: "Callum Wilson has recovered well, so we’re hopeful he’ll be OK. You need your best players fit and available, physically he’s been good as this is the first problem he’s had."

Form

Wolves WWLLD

Dec 9: Newcastle United 1 (Perez 23) Wolves 2 (Jota 17, Doherty 90+4)

Dec 5: Wolves 2 (Jimenez 59, Jota 63) Chelsea 1 (Loftus-Cheek 18)

Nov 30: Cardiff City 2 (Gunnarsson 65, Hoilett 77) Wolves 1 (Doherty 18)

Nov 25: Wolves 0 Huddersfield Town 2 (Mooy 6, 74)

Nov 11: Arsenal 1 (Mkhitaryan 86) Wolves 1 (Cavaleiro 13)

Bournemouth LWLLL

Dec 8: Bournemouth 0 Liverpool 4 (Salah 25, 48, 77, Cook OG 68)

Dec 4 Bournemouth 2 (Wilson 5, Fraser 22) Huddersfield Town 1 (Kongolo 38)

Dec 1 Manchester City 3 (Bernardo Silva 16, Sterling 57, Gundogan 79) Bournemouth 1 (Wilson 44)

Nov 25: Bournemouth 1 (King 45+2) Arsenal 2 (Lerma OG 30, Aubameyang 67)

Nov 10: Newcastle United 2 (Rondon 7, 40) Bournemouth 1 (Lerma 45+6)

Past five meetings

Mar 3, 2015 (Ch): Bournemouth 2 (Kermorgant 10, pen 49) Wolves 1 (Afobe 39)

Dec 6, 2014 (Ch): Wolves 1 (Graham 41) Bournemouth 2 (Arter 73, Ritchie 85)

Sep 22, 1998 (LC): Wolves 1 (Keane 57) Bournemouth 2 (Stein 21, 60)

Sep 15, 1998 (LC): Bournemouth 1 (Stein 17) Wolves 1 (Ferguson 83)

Apr 3, 1990 (Ch): Bournemouth 1 Wolves 1 (Bellamy)

Referee

Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)

A rare Premier League game for Hooper who's usually a regular in the Championship.

It's his first Wolves game this season and his second involving Bournemouth – he sent off Blackburn's Derrick Williams in a Carabao Cup tie at the Vitality Stadium, one of three red cards this season from the ref.

Match odds

Wolves 10/11, draw 5/2, Bournemouth 3/1