Wolverhampton Wanderers have had an expectedly steady start to the 2023/24 campaign, considering the Old Gold faced a change in manager just five days prior to the Premier League opener.
Three games into the league season and the Midlands club have secured two losses and one win, claiming three points last time out in a late thriller at Goodison Park against Everton, seeing Sasa Kalajdzic score the winner three minutes from time.
Another challenge awaits Gary O’Neil’s side, as Wolves face a trip to Crystal Palace this afternoon in what is expected to be a difficult affair at Selhurst Park.
The last time the two sides met in south London, the Eagles were 2-1 winners and the Old Gold fell into the bottom three on the back of a disappointing run of form, a memory that has the potential to be rewritten this afternoon.
What is the latest Wolves team news against Crystal Palace?
During the win against Everton last week, Hwang Hee-Chan was forced to withdraw due to a hamstring injury and the South Korean didn’t feature in the midweek victory over Blackpool in the Carabao Cup.
Matheus Nunes is certainly a figure who won’t feature again for the Old Gold, with the Portuguese midfielder joining Manchester City in the dying embers of the window.
Tommy Doyle has moved in the other direction to Molineux as part of a £5m deal, initially on loan, making Wolves’ lineup for the clash against Palace one for interesting reading.
Will Matt Doherty start against Crystal Palace?
While there are expected to be changes to the side that O’Neil fields at Selhurst Park, one area that shouldn’t be debated is whether Matt Doherty starts in the XI or on the bench.
The “machine” as once lauded by journalist Tim Spiers, showcased an emphatic performance against Blackpool on Tuesday evening, earning an almost perfect 9.7 Sofascore match rating on his first start following his return to Molineux.
With two goals, a 91% passing accuracy rate and a monstrous 147 touches, via Sofascore, the 31-year-old seemed back to his best following his return to the Premier League after a failed stint at Spurs and Atletico Madrid.
Considering the threat that Palace pose on the flanks, namely in the shape of Ebere Eze, allowing the former Spurs whiz to retain his place in the starting side could be a smart move from O’Neil, with Doherty having significant experience in the Premier League.
Nelson Semedo would be the player to make way for the Irishman, in what could spark some competition between the two right-backs in a bid to raise performance and promote consistency.
The Portuguese defender was impressive on the opening day against Manchester United where the club only shipped one goal. However, he has seen his performance dip slightly since, earning a poor 6.2 match rating against Brighton, which slightly improved at Goodison where he received a 6.6 Sofascore rating.
It will be difficult for O’Neil to ignore the performance of Doherty last Tuesday, who showcased his complete and polished ability in 90 minutes that rolled back the years at Molineux.
With plenty of games to be played, the English manager could use the £5m-rated Irishman’s high level of performance to spark the start of a healthy competition between his two defensive talents.
