Wolverhampton Wanderers can move into the Championship's top five with a win over Portsmouth at Molineux on Tuesday evening. The match kicks off at 19:45 and offers Wolves a chance to build on their 2-1 comeback victory at Burnley last Tuesday.
Cesar Peixoto, the Wolves manager, said he "hopes to have his striker back on Tuesday" in reference to Adam Armstrong, who missed the trip to Turf Moor with a minor back problem. Raul Jimenez remains a long-term absentee, while Boubacar Traore, Bertrand Traore and Rodrigo Gomes were also absent for the Burnley game. Peixoto made six changes for that fixture and hinted at further rotation due to a busy schedule.
Recent form and key men
Wolves' form has been inconsistent, with their last five results reading two wins and three losses. They ended a two-game losing streak with that 2-1 win at Burnley, where Fer López and Tawanda Chirewa scored the goals. López is the team's top scorer this season with five goals in ten appearances. The 1-3 home defeat to Bolton six days ago was their first loss at Molineux this season, and they have not suffered back-to-back home league defeats since February 2017.
Portsmouth arrive in good spirits after a 1-0 win at Norwich City on Saturday, their third victory in four games. They sit thirteenth with fourteen points from ten matches. However, they have significant injury concerns, having lost striker Colby Bishop to a knee issue in the warm-up at Carrow Road. Keshi Anderson is out with a hamstring tear, while John Swift, Benjamin Arthur and Conor Shaughnessy are among several other absentees.
Historical context
This is the first league meeting between the sides since the 2009-10 Premier League season, when Portsmouth did the double over Wolves. Portsmouth are unbeaten in six league meetings since a 3-2 Wolves win in January 2002. After that 2002 victory, then-Wolves boss Dave Jones said: "We fought hard and showed character."
Wolves' recent matches have been high-scoring, with six of their ten league games producing four or more goals. They have scored 18 and conceded 15. Portsmouth have also been involved in several high-scoring affairs, managing four or more goals in four of their ten outings. The focus now is firmly on Tuesday night, where a win would lift Wolves to fifth place.
