Daniel Podence impressed in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 3-2 defeat to Espanyol, but he could be dropped against Tottenham to make way for Raul Jimenez. The 23-year-old had a hand in two goals in Thursday’s Europa League last-16 clash and may be afforded a rest for his excursions.
Nuno Espirito Santo named Podence and Adama Traore in attack for Wolves’ second leg against Espanyol – a team who had been thrashed 4-0 in the first meeting. He substituted Traore in the second half but allowed Podence to play a full 90 minutes, so the former may have been saved for Sunday.
How will Wolverhampton Wanderers fare against Tottenham?
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Jimenez was an unused substitute on Thursday, taking a well-deserved break to ensure there was no European hangover on the weekend. He’s played in every Premier League game this season, so it’s unlikely he’ll ever miss out if fit. Diogo Jota has five goals in his last two games, so he’s expected to return on Sunday after being left out against Espanyol too.
Nuno just had a decision to make on who to drop out of Traore and Podence. Tottenham are a different animal to Espanyol, so it would present a new challenge for Podence who is still adapting to life as a Wolves player. Traore, however, could make light work of a slow and ageing Tottenham backline that has conceded seven goals in their last four games.
It’s also worth noting that he and Jimenez have seven joint-goal contributions in their last 19 games, so they’re a potent partnership on the pitch.
