‘Tricky’ £8.5m decision made as Gary O’Neil risks rotation in FA Cup - Wolves predicted XI vs Brighton

Wolverhampton Wanderers have the opportunity to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in half a decade as they take on Brighton & Hove Albion this Wednesday.

Under the lights at Molineux for the fifth round thanks to a win over bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion, the Old Gold will be desperate to keep their cup dream alive. Brighton are in the same position, though, with Roberto De Zerbi's side eager to set themselves on their way better last season's run to the semi-finals at Wembley.

Wolves head into this one in great form having beaten Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United in three of their last four matches. There was a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Brentford sandwiched in between but that feels like an anomaly with Gary O'Neil's men soaring.

Brighton, meanwhile, are in varied form. The Seagulls won two of their last five matches in scintillating style, dispatching Crystal Palace 4-1 and thrashing Sheffield United 5-0. A surprise 4-0 defeat away at Luton Town and a late 2-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur have also happened recently, however, as well as a 1-1 draw with Everton.

O'Neil has plenty of respect for Brighton and he's likely to put out a very strong lineup as a result. There could be some slight rotation, though, with a couple of the older regular starters perhaps in need of a rest before an important game away at Newcastle United on Saturday. An opportunity is also open for an impressive midfielder.

Wolves predicted lineup vs Brighton in FA Cup

Here's how we predict the Old Gold to line up against Brighton this Wednesday, with three changes to the XI that beat Sheffield United.

GK: Jose Sa

Sa, who is undoubtedly the first choice goalkeeper, will be delighted with the weekend’s clean sheet as Wolves had gone four games without one beforehand. He’ll be hoping he can keep a shutout again, just as he did at the Amex in January.

RWB: Nelson Semedo

Semedo has struggled against Brighton in the past but with Kaoru Mitoma not expected to play and other pacy wingers out injured for the Seagulls, it shouldn’t be an issue. It’s also worth noting Semedo has improved a great deal under O’Neil.

CB: Max Kilman

The skipper has been vital to Wanderers’ success this season. Not only has he been a leader from the back, but also very solid defensively. This was shown in abundance on Sunday as Wolves had to dig in for victory.

CB: Santiago Bueno

It’s tricky to see Craig Dawson benched but the 33-year-old could do with a rest with plenty of key fixtures coming up in quick succession. £8.5m signing Bueno did a great job filling in at the start of January in two FA Cup clashes with Brentford.

CB: Toti Gomes

Toti, who has been superb as a left-sided centre half, still hasn’t given O’Neil an excuse to drop him. He’s got lots of energy and stamina, too, putting him at low priority for a rest.

LWB: Rayan Ait-Nouri

The Algerian notched an assist with a brilliant cross against Sheffield United. O’Neil will want more of the same, especially as Brighton are particularly susceptible to crosses and set pieces.

CM: Mario Lemina

Lemina put in another brilliant shift for Wanderers at the weekend as he broke up the play and displayed good vision. The energy seemed to drop in the second half against the Blades but that was more down to having to sit back and defend.

CM: Tommy Doyle

Doyle, on loan from Manchester City, was playing well when Joao Gomes was injured but has since been dropped to the bench. He’s likely to be given a chance this midweek with Gomes expected to start at the weekend.

RW: Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

Bellegarde has had regular cameos in an advanced position but we could see him from the start this time around. Pablo Sarabia is in terrific form but a rest would be beneficial ahead of an important fixture.

LW: Pedro Neto

Neto, who is so often one of Wolves’ biggest threats, caused Brighton all sorts of problems at the Amex last month. The Portuguese has been utilised as a striker in recent weeks but Hwang’s return means going out on the wing.

ST: Hee-Chan Hwang

Hwang took a slight knock before the Sheffield United game but O’Neil has confirmed the South Korean is absolutely fine now. He needs as many minutes as he can to get back up to match sharpness.