Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping to make it back to back Premier League wins for the first time since February when they face Manchester City.
Gary O’Neil has enjoyed a solid debut season at Molineux, but with two of their final three games of the season coming against City and Liverpool, is a top half finish beyond them?
With injuries coming at the wrong time of the season, it could see O’Neil make a few changes to his starting XI as they take on the champions.
Rayan Ait Nouri had to be subbed off with an injury against Luton Town last weekend and the manager may have to turn to someone else to fill the void if he isn’t fit.
The players who could replace Rayan Ait Nouri
Unfortunately, Wolves don’t have many options in their squad who could come in to replace the Algerian – with O'Neil not providing any information on the potentially stricken star during his pre-match press conference.
Matt Doherty has been used on the left several times this term, but he will fill in for Nelson Semedo on the right side of midfield as the Portuguese defender drops deeper to play alongside Max Kilman and Toti Gomes at the heart of the defence.
This leaves Hugo Bueno, who could certainly be a like-for-like replacement for Ait Nouri against Pep Guardiola’s men, offering the youngster the chance to stake his claim ahead of next season, amid reports that his teammate has caught the eye of title hopefuls Arsenal – among other 'big six' sides.
Hugo Bueno’s statistics this season for Wolves
Bueno enjoyed a breakthrough season during 2022/23, playing a total of 23 matches in all competitions, which gave him a solid foundation to build on ahead of the current campaign.
Due to the form of Ait-Nouri, the Spaniard has been reliant on appearances from the bench, starting just seven matches throughout the entire season so far, but he could well be brought into the starting XI against City.
Journalist Liam Keen hailed the 21-year-old as a “promising talent” after he signed a new four-year deal at the Old Gold in 2022.
Metric
Bueno
Ait-Nouri
Goals
0
2
Assists
0
1
Big chances created
2
2
Possession lost per game
6
10.1
Key passes per game
0.3
0.8
Despite averaging only 36 minutes per game in the Premier League, starting six games, Bueno has still managed to create two big chances, averaging 0.3 key passes and 0.4 successful dribbles per match, showing glimpses of his attacking tendencies.
Defensively, he has made one tackle on average per game while winning 2.1 total duels per game – a success rate of 46% – while losing possession six times per match.
Of course, Wolves could miss the presence Ait-Nouri, who has succeeded with 1.9 dribbles per game along with taking 0.7 shots per game, but Bueno has the chance to stake his claim on a regular place by shining against City.
There is no doubting his talents, but a more consistent run in the first team is required if the youngster is to continue his upward trajectory, otherwise his performances could suffer as a result.
Wolves defeated City 2-1 earlier this season, but Guardiola’s charges look like a different team during the final stages of the campaign, indicating just how tough a match it will be for O’Neil and co.
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With interest in Ait-Nouri ramping up, now could be the perfect opportunity for Bueno to showcase what he can do against elite opposition.