Before the match, captain Gary O'Neil gave Wolves fans good news when star Pedro Neto had recovered, had just participated in training with the whole team and could be ready to play against Chelsea. Neto has been injured since October 28, and that is one of the reasons for the decline of the Molineux team in recent times.
The 23-year-old midfielder's importance to Wolves is shown in his assists. Despite being out for the past 2 months, the Portuguese winger is still leading the team's assist list with 7 times, equal to Kieran Tripper (Newcastle) and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). However, despite Neto's return, O'Neil is not really assured because goalkeeper Jose Sa (shoulder pain) and defender Nelson Semedo (sick) are almost unable to play.
Two other stars will also not be able to start in the match this Sunday, Joe Hodge and Jonny. One person suffered a shoulder injury, both minor surgery and not recovering. The other was described as having a "serious problem" during a training session and will not be able to return until January 2024. In general, the "Wolves" are still very thin.
If Wolves are sad, Chelsea's sadness must be two or three times. They are still missing a series of players, especially some key players such as Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee), Trevoh Chalobah (head), Marc Cucurella ( ankle), Robert Sanchez (knee) and Ben Chilwell (head). Among them, captain James is a very unfortunate case when he has just returned and has not had a long time since recurred injuries.
Midfield's brightest star, Enzo Fernandez, only played 32 minutes against Newcastle. Captain Mauricio Pochettino also confirmed that his compatriot will not be able to play against Wolves. Meanwhile, Levi Colwill have been out of steam in the middle of this week but have been confirmed to be fine and could start at Molineux.
Some stars who are confirmed to be uncertain to play are Romeo Lavia (anchored pain), Lesley Ugochkwu (undetected) and Noni Madueke (missed for fitness) who could be pushed if Pochettino really needs these stars. All three have been fully trained this week.
The most anticipated star since the beginning of the season, Christopher Nkunku, has made his first official debut in the League Cup quarter-finals. However, Pochettino is still quite hesitant because if he takes risks, the French striker may have a relapse of the pain like Reece James.
Wolves' expected lineup: Sa; Kilman, Toti, Dawson; Semedo, Lemina, Gomes, Bellegarde, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Hwang
Chelsea's expected lineup: Petrovic; Gusto, Silva, Badiashile, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson
The match between Wolves and Chelsea will take place at 20:00 on December 24 (Vietnam time), live on K+.
