Football returns this Saturday for Wolves following the international break as Gary O’Neil’s men travel to his former club AFC Bournemouth, and that’s not the only pre-match talking point as wolves.co.uk has found out.
#1 Inside both camps
Although the majority of his squad have arrived back at Compton Park following the internationals at full fitness, Gary O’Neil will be missing a few key players due to suspension. Nelson Semedo and Mario Lemina – who have played almost every minute of Premier League football for the Old Gold so far this season – are absent from the trip to the Vitality Stadium with one-game suspensions due to their yellow card hauls, but the head coach will have an additional option in midfield with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde back in the frame having serving his three-game ban following his sending off at Luton Town last month. Matt Doherty, Boubacar Traore and Tommy Doyle are also the likely options to replace the suspended pair, while left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has also returned to training after going at half-time of Wolves’ 1-1 draw with Aston Villa last time out.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has a few injury worries ahead of Saturday’s fixture. Midfielder Alex Scott – who was heavily linked to a move to Wolves in the summer – has still not recovered from a knee problem which has delayed his Cherries debut, while Tyler Adams, Ryan Fredericks and Emiliano Marcondes are also ruled out. However, Lloyd Kelly, Chris Mepham and Philip Billing are all set to be assessed before the weekend. But having lost their last three Premier League games, Iraola might be tempted to switch his side around or go to a back five to match the formation Wolves have played during their previous two outings.
#2 Coming into it
The international break probably came at a bad point of the season for Wolves, who were on a good run of form during the three weeks previously. O’Neil’s side are unbeaten in three Premier League fixtures but did go out of the Carabao Cup in the third round to high-flying Championship outfit Ipswich Town in the middle of that run. However, they will take confidence from the points they have picked up in the top flight – and against some big teams – recently.
Wolves’ last three | D 1-1 Aston Villa (H) – W 2-1 Manchester City (H) – L 2-3 Ipswich Town (A)
In the complete opposite direction are Bournemouth, who picked up their only win of the last month in the Carabao Cup, as they put two without reply past Stoke City. Heavy defeats to Brighton, Arsenal and Everton in their last three Premier League outings has seen Andoni Iraola’s side slip into the relegation zone, without a league victory and just three points to their name so far this campaign, but two of those points have come at home to West Ham United and Chelsea.
Bournemouth’s last three | L 0-3 Everton (A) – L 0-4 Arsenal (H) – W 2-0 Stoke City (H)
#3 Since last time
Wolves 0 Bournemouth 1 | 18th February 2023
Wolves’ last meeting with Bournemouth came at Molineux in February of this year when Gary O’Neil masterminded a narrow 1-0 victory for the Cherries over Julen Lopetegui’s Old Gold side. The hosts were not at their best during the Premier League match, as Bournemouth snatched all three points when Dominic Solanke found space down the Wolves left and laid a cross into the path of Marcus Tavernier who bundled it past Jose Sa from close range.
Wolves’ XI | Sa, Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno, Neves, Moutinho, Nunes, Sarabia, Traore, Cunha.
From the Wolves team which started last time out against Aston Villa, the team was virtually unrecognisable. The entire midfield has been revamped, with Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes no longer at the club, Adama Traore has left for Fulham, while Hugo Bueno and Pablo Sarabia were absent. Bournemouth have not made as big a change, with seven of their 11 players who started at Molineux in February, beginning the 3-0 loss to Everton a fortnight ago.
Bournemouth’s XI | Neto, Smith, Zemura, Senesi, Stephens, Lerma, Ouattara, Tavernier, Traore, Billing, Solanke.
#4 In the media
In the Express & Star, Wolves reporter Liam Keen feels head coach O’Neil will be desperate to take all three points back to the Black Country as he faces his former club on Saturday.
“He will absolutely want to come across in the right way, and he will be asked various questions about his departure from Bournemouth. But he will be desperate to beat them and who can blame him. If he wins, it will feel sweeter than almost anything else this season, maybe even sweeter than Man City given the way he was unceremoniously sacked last season. If Wolves do pick up a win, I don't see O'Neil as a manager who will go over the top in the stadium or on the touchline, that isn't his style. But privately, behind the scenes, he will go and see the Wolves hierarchy, his players, his family and be absolutely buzzing if they win the game. And I would like to think the players will respond as well. They are not stupid and will know how desperate he will be to win. They have been playing for him this season, and if they just up the standards and intensity, I think they will have too much quality for Bournemouth.”
Having spoken to veteran defender Adam Smith, who was vice-captain under O’Neil at the Cherries, Bournemouth Echo digital sports reporter Jack Tanner believes old allegiances will be put to one side at the Vitality Stadium.
“Wolves are in town on Saturday as O’Neil’s successor Andoni Iraola hunts for a first Cherries win in the Premier League at the ninth attempt. Initially stepping in as caretaker manager before being appointed on a permanent basis, O’Neil led Cherries to Premier League survival last term in his first job as a head coach. Despite the success of securing a second season in the top flight, O’Neil was dispensed in June, as Cherries looked to implement a new style of play with Basque boss Iraola. On the eve of the Premier League season, O’Neil was handed another chance in the Premier League, becoming Wolverhampton Wanderers manager on a three-year deal following the shock departure of Julien Lopetegui just five days before Wolves’ season opener away at Manchester United. Veteran Bournemouth defender Adam Smith has previously labelled the job done by O’Neil last term as “one of the biggest achievements” at Cherries. But the 32-year-old stated that even though the former head coach was popular in the dressing room, there would be no sentiment shared on the pitch, with Cherries fully focused on recording their maiden league victory of the campaign.”
