Wolverhampton Wanderers return to Premier League action on Friday night as they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage and Julen Lopetegui should unleash Daniel Podence in his starting lineup.
After back-to-back victories over Liverpool and Southampton, the Old Gold looked to be favourites when they took on relegation rivals Bournemouth at Molineux last week.
However, a narrow 1-0 defeat, in which Wolves’ problems in the final third were once again exposed, has dragged Lopetegui’s side right back into the battle at the bottom of the league.
Therefore, the Midlands club will be desperate to pick up points against an in-form Fulham side this evening, but face a tough ask, given that Marco Silva’s side have kept clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League fixtures and look a real contender for a European spot this season.
Will Daniel Podence start vs Fulham?
Wolves are still the lowest scorers in the top flight and looked toothless in attack against the Cherries last time out, so Lopetegui must consider reinstalling Podence into his starting 11.
The Portuguese winger is the joint-top scorer with central midfielder Ruben Neves on five goals this term, while he also ranks among the top five players in Wolves’ squad for shots and key passes per game, which emphasises the attacking quality that he can provide in the final third.
The Old Gold cannot afford to play things safe at this point in the season and will need a creative spark to unlock a resolute Fulham defence, so he must be preferred on the wing after Adama Traore and Pablo Sarabia failed to deliver against Bournemouth.
Ex-Wolves man Dave Edwards summed up what Podence can bring to Wolves in a column for the Express and Star, suggesting that he “never plays safe” and is “always looking to affect the game.”
Meanwhile, his former boss Bruno Lage also praised the Portuguese threat last season, saying:
“He is very clever. With him, we can play better between the lines and can have different strategies.“He understands his role and the game inside and outside. The main point is that I try to play where he starts and then create the moments he knows and the dynamic he has.”Given that Podence ranks far higher than someone like Traore for shots and key passes per game, Lopetegui should consider sacrificing the counter-attacking threat and instead add quality in the final third, in the hope that the former Olympiacos winger can do the business in another important fixture this evening.