Following an embarrassing defeat away to West Ham United on Sunday, Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to get back to winning ways at home to Fulham in the Premier League this weekend.

With the availability of forward Daniel Podence (shoulder) and left wing-back Fernando Marcal (calf) uncertain and Ruben Vinagre reportedly in Athens ahead of a season-long loan move to Olympiacos, Pedro Neto and Ki-Jana Hoever are both possibilities to start.

Tactical alterations are also on the cards - after three successive defeats, something has to be changed, with the shape of the midfield being the most likely candidate.

The opposition

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Fulham have got off to an awful start in their first season back in the Premier League, sitting bottom of the table after conceding 10 times in their opening three games against Arsenal, Leeds and Aston Villa. A club seemingly without direction, their only consolatory results have come in Carabao Cup victories against Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday before losing 3-0 to Brentford in the round of 16.

The situation at Fulham is so dire that Vice Chairman Tony Khan felt the need to tweet a public apology to fans about his team's quality of performance after the defeat to Villa.

After experimenting with a back three system against Villa then conceding three goals without reply, it is safe to assume that Scott Parker will send his men out in their regular 4-2-3-1 formation.

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Ivan Cavaleiro could feature, making his first appearance at Molineux since he departed on loan (now permanent) in the summer of 2019. One of the first of a wave of Portuguese players to arrive in the Black Country after Fosun's takeover, Cavaleiro shone in the Championship-winning 2017-18 team, "dancing 'round defenders" as the chant went, and he provided a goal contribution every 138 minutes during his three-year spell at Wolves.

He will likely play on the left of the Fulham attack, coming up against Willy Boly and Nelson Semedo. Wolves fans will be hoping that the man who "never gives the ball away" at Molineux makes an exception this time, as his instructions will likely be to feed balls towards centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic. A strong, tall and physical player, Mitrovic could cause problems for an out-of-form Wolves back three.

Tactics and formation

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Injuries will dominate Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo's team selection dilemmas this week. While a switch from a 3-4-3 to a 3-5-2 (probably in a 3-4-1-2 layout) to strengthen the midfield is inherently likely following a weak central performance last time out, the composition of the midfield and attack is difficult to predict.

The availability of Podence will determine the shape of the Wolves attack - if he is fit, then a fluid attack made up of him, Raul Jimenez and Pedro Neto is possible, with two staying up front and the other dropping centrally between the midfield and forward lines. Jimenez will be looking to repay the club's confidence in him, after signing a new deal to keep him at Molineux until 2024.

However, if Podence is unavailable, a front two of Jimenez and Neto or Jimenez and Fabio Silva is possible, in front of three central midfielders, with Adama Traore on the bench to make an impact in the final half an hour of the game, possibly bringing a formation change with him - he is unlikely to start as he is less effective in a strike pairing than he is in a front three.

Regardless of the number of minutes he plays against Fulham, a brilliant performance from Traore is likely as he looks to impress the Wolves management, who are reportedly looking at opening negotiations with him over a new contract.

Ruben Neves, often the standout performer in midfield, is very likely to start, as is Leander Dendoncker, his physical attributes vital in maintaining some degree of central solidity. Less certain is the status of Joao Moutinho in the starting XI, after a couple of underwhelming performances.

If a third central midfielder is played, he will most likely be Moutinho or Vitinha, depending on whether Nuno thinks his new signing is experienced and well-integrated enough to start. Vitinha showed hints of class in the closing stages against West Ham, controlling the ball well in tight spaces, though the game was too far gone for him to have any tangible impact upon entering the fray.

Semedo is the most likely to play at right wing-back, wide of Boly and with Conor Coady (who has recently signed a new five-year deal) in the centre of the back three, while the composition of the left of the Wolves defence will be determined by the availability of Marcal.

With photographs emerging on social media seemingly showing the arrival of Vinagre in Greece, it is unlikely that he will be seen again in England this season, if at all. If Marcal is fit, he will play at left wing-back given that Wolves have no other natural left-sided wide defenders as a result of Jonny Castro Otto's long-term injury rehabilitation.

If Marcal is still injured, Hoever might cover his position just for this game. Permanent left wing-back cover looks to be on the way, with promising 19-year-old Rayan Ait-Nouri expected to sign on a season-loan loan from Angers in the coming days, with a reported £20million option to buy next summer.

Rui Patricio, as usual, is expected to start in goal.

Predicted line-up (if Podence and Marcal are fit): 3-5-2:

Patricio; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Neves, Neto, Dendoncker, Marcal; Jimenez, Podence.

Prediction

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Wolves need improvement in results, as soon as possible. Fulham are the best team they could play against right now as they are looking for the result to change their fortunes, though Cavaleiro and Mitrovic will pose a threat going forward.

While Mitrovic could manage a goal or two if he bullies the Wolves defensive line, Fulham have been shambolic in defence, and the Wolves forwards, with an altered, stronger midfield behind them, should have enough opportunities to out-score Fulham.

Wolves should be able to emerge victorious, though the points will likely be hard-won.

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