Rayan Ait-Nouri switcheroo as Gary O’Neil faces £21m dilemma - Wolves predicted XI vs Newcastle United

Wolverhampton Wanderers return from the international break with a tough Premier League home clash against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

The Old Gold will be eager to kick on this weekend after picking up their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest before the interval. It was a tough start to the new campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal and a 6-2 thrashing from Chelsea but the result at Forest was certainly promising.

Gary O’Neil switched to a 4-4-1-1 formation at the City Ground, pushing Rayan Ait-Nouri into a more advanced role and shifting Toti Gomes across to left-back. That coupled with the introduction of Craig Dawson to the starting XI seemed to provide better defensive stability.

Going forward, Wolves have had mixed success with chance creation but new striker Jorgen Strand Larsen still needs to settle and there hasn’t been much consistency in terms of personnel. As a result, we reckon O’Neil is unlikely to rotate much - if at all - to take on Newcastle.

The Magpies have made a promising introduction to the 2024/25 season with two wins and a draw in the opening three matches. The most recent result, a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, was particularly impressive as Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak scored to earn a vital three points.

Wolves predicted XI vs Newcastle

It’s going to be tough for Wolves to earn a positive result but, nonetheless, here are the 11 players we predict will start to give O’Neil’s side the best chance.

GK - Sam Johnstone

Johnstone, signed from Crystal Palace on deadline day, started away at Forest and is likely to be first choice ahead of Jose Sa from now on.

RB - Nelson Semedo

Semedo, now back from suspension, is ready to reclaim the right-back spot on a consistent basis after playing at the City Ground.

CB - Yerson Mosquera

The Colombian has had a mixed start to his first proper season involved in the first-team Wolves setup but he has the potential to be a top player.

CB - Craig Dawson

Dawson’s return to the centre of defence has added confidence to Wolves’ back line. His experience could be vital as the tweaks to O’Neil’s system bed in.

LB - Toti Gomes

Toti moving across to left-back provided some extra solidity, something that definitely wasn’t seen in the heavy defeat to Chelsea a few weeks ago.

RM - Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

Bellegarde scored an absolute cracker before the international break, so he surely cannot be dropped. The competition is fierce at right midfield, though.

CM - Mario Lemina

The skipper was arguably the best player on the pitch in Wanderers’ last outing. He missed the international break through a knock but should be fine to play.

CM - Joao Gomes

Gomes has become a reliable partner to Lemina, energetic and capable of changing games. Andre, a £21 million summer signing, needs more time to adjust.

LM - Rayan Ait-Nouri

Ait-Nouri often plays better when in a more advanced position as he’s not relied upon so much in defensive positions, where he can sometimes be shaky.

CAM - Matheus Cunha

Cunha continues to be one of the Old Gold’s biggest threats week in, week out. He’s bound to be among the club’s top scorers this season.

ST - Jorgen Strand Larsen

Strand Larsen has scored one in his first three matches, not a bad output considering he’s only just arrived. Hopefully he’ll properly hit the ground running soon.