O'Neil ditches Ait-Nouri in predicted Wolves lineup vs Burnley

Wolverhampton Wanderers failed to bounce back from their FA Cup quarter-final defeat a few weeks ago as they played Aston Villa on the weekend.

With every point crucial in their bid to secure a top-half Premier League finish, the Old Gold suffered a 2-0 defeat which hinders their recent progress.

Of course, Gary O’Neil has suffered his fair share of injury blows recently, with Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-Chan all missing from his frontline, while centre-back Craig Dawson has been a big absence from his defence.

They have a chance to redeem themselves following the weekend loss, hosting Burnley in the top flight on Tuesday evening.

Several players could come back into the side ahead of the clash, but O’Neil will likely just make a couple of changes to his starting XI.

With this in mind, here's a look at the 11 players who could be unleashed in the lineup against Vincent Kompany’s men on Tuesday, where three important points are at stake.

1 GK – Jose Sa

The Portuguese shot-stopper will make his 13th consecutive Premier League appearance against Burnley, hoping to keep just his fifth clean sheet of the season.

He last failed to concede a goal in the top flight during a 1-0 win over Sheffield United back in February and O’Neil will be hoping this changes on Tuesday evening.

2 CB – Santiago Bueno

Dawson suffered an injury against Fulham at the start of March and has been ruled out since, breaking up O’Neil’s regular three-man defence.

The groin injury meant Dawson has missed the previous three matches. There won't be a need to rush him back against Burnley, meaning Bueno will keep his place in the lineup.

He didn’t have the best of games against Villa, winning just two of his six contested duels, but he did complete 90% of his passes along with taking 56 touches during the match, and he will be raring to go against Burnley.

3 CB – Max Kilman

The Wolves captain received his sixth top flight booking of the season against Villa on the weekend, while he won zero ground duels, but the defender finished with a 90% pass success rate while dominating aerially, winning four of his six aerial duels.

He will remain in the side, hoping to recover from a below-par outing to shine against Burnley tomorrow.

4 CB – Toti Gomes

The Portuguese centre-back is perhaps one of the most improved players in the squad. Last season, he made only 17 appearances in the league. This season? Toti has already featured 26 times, impressing under O’Neil.

Against Villa, he won seven of his 11 ground duels, showcasing his brute strength in one-on-one battles, and he will be hoping to shine once again on Tuesday.

5 RM – Nelson Semedo

The former Barcelona defender has been used in a more advanced role recently, but this has yet to pay off. Across 28 Premier League games this season, Semedo has registered just one assist.

During the game against Villa, he delivered just one accurate cross from four attempts and made one key pass, hardly the stats of a player who O’Neil trusted to contribute to going forward.

With a lack of options available to him, Semedo will start against Burnley.

6 CM – Tommy Doyle

The on-loan Manchester City gem has impressed in spells for Wolves. Due to his current injury woes, O’Neil has given him more opportunities, with the youngster starting the previous three league matches.

With Neto and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde missing tomorrow’s clash, Doyle will retain his spot in the starting XI.

7 CM – Joao Gomes

Wolves have a diamond in their side with the talented young Brazilian, who won his first cap for his country during the recent international break.

A 92% pass success rate against Villa indicated that he controlled proceedings from the heart of the midfield, while winning 12 of his 19 total duels shows he was keen on getting involved in the dirty work throughout the contest.

O’Neil will once again unleash him in the middle of the pitch alongside Doyle, with the hope that the pair can cause some damage.

8 LM – Hugo Bueno

Against Villa, Rayan Ait-Nouri completed just 13 passes and took 33 touches, failing to really get involved during the match, which could see O’Neil unleash Bueno in the starting XI.

The youngster has yet to start a Premier League match in 2024, but the tie against Burnley could be the perfect opportunity for him to finally play 90 minutes in the top flight.

9 AM – Pablo Sarabia

The Spanish veteran has been in solid form throughout the 2023/24 campaign, making 22 appearances in the league, scoring three goals, and grabbing six assists in the process.

O’Neil has tended to utilise his skills as an attacking midfielder recently due to injuries, which is a position that Sarabia will keep against Burnley.

The 19th-placed side in the division have conceded 65 goals so far this term, suggesting Sarabia may have an ideal chance to add to his tally.

10 AM – Mario Lemina

Lemina has been used as an attacking midfielder recently, adapting well to the change. During the Villa match, he took three shots throughout the game while succeeding with two of his three dribble attempts.

He missed a big chance along with making one key pass and there is no doubt the more advanced role suits his game.

11 ST – Nathan Fraser

Fellow teenager Leon Chiwome started on the weekend, yet it could be Fraser who gets the nod against Burnley.

The 19-year-old has previously been hailed as “inquisitive” by James Collins, the U21 head coach, due to his impressive form in the youth age groups.

This season, Fraser has netted two senior goals, coming in the EFL Cup and FA Cup, while making five appearances in the top flight.

The next step for the teen will be to score his maiden league goal for the Old Gold. Coming up against a Burnley defence which has proven to be fairly shoddy should be all the incentive he needs on Tuesday evening.

Predicted Wolves starting XI vs Burnley in full: GK – Sa; CB – Bueno, CB – Kilman, CB – Toti; RM – Semedo, CM – Gomes, CM – Doyle, LM – Bueno; AM – Sarabia, AM – Lemina; ST – Fraser