Sky Sports is showing 64 live Premier League games from the Premier League restart; 25 matches available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel
Friday 3 July 2020 18:37, UK
The Premier League is back - but what shape are Wolves in? Fixtures, injury latest, the manager's view and more...
Now that the Premier League is back, we run the rule over Nuno Espirito Santo's side, from fixtures and fitness to the manager's view and more...
Sky Sports' Adam Bate
With nine games remaining, Wolves are in sixth position which would be an improvement on last season's placing of seventh and enough to secure another season of European football at Molineux.
The five teams below Wolves are within four points and two of them have a game in hand so the grip on a top-six finish is not firm. But supporters will be more inclined to view this nine-game mini-season as an opportunity. For Wolves, the rewards on offer in the coming weeks far outweigh the risks.
Form was good before the enforced break and with no FA Cup commitments, there might never be a better chance to qualify for the Champions League. They are two points off fifth and that could be enough given Manchester City's possible suspension.
Wolves have a small squad but having had few injury problems under Nuno and playing a controlled brand of football that appears more conducive to the demands of an intense schedule, they have every right to be optimistic about their prospects. The opportunity is there but will they seize it?
Having already faced four of the five teams above them home and away, Wolves have one of the more straightforward run-ins on paper. However, they will be up against a number of teams scrapping to stay in the Premier League and the next three games could dictate how the season plays out.
Wolves restart with a trip to West Ham before hosting Bournemouth and then making the short trip to Aston Villa. All three teams are desperate for the points.
After that, there are a series of potentially crucial games against Arsenal, Sheffield United, Everton, Burnley and Crystal Palace - five of the six teams directly below Wolves in the table. The season concludes away to Chelsea.
West Ham vs Wolves
Kick-Off: 5.30pm; Live on Sky Sports
Wolves vs Bournemouth
Kick-off: 8pm
Aston Villa vs Wolves
Kick-Off: 12.30pm
Wolves vs Arsenal
Kick-Off: 5.30pm; Live on Sky Sports
Sheffield United vs Wolves
Kick-Off: 6pm; Live on Sky Sports
Wolves vs Everton
Kick-Off: 6pm; Live on Sky Sports and Sky Pick
Burnley vs Wolves
Wolves vs Crystal Palace
Chelsea vs Wolves
Sheffield United can overtake Nuno's team if they win their game, while Arsenal will draw level on points if they take advantage of their game in hand too. It is tight in the race for the European places.
Data guru Ben Mayhew has simulated every possible result from the remaining 92 games and calculated each club's range of possible final league positions - in addition to probabilities for each standing.
This modelling suggests that Wolves are most likely to end the season in sixth but there is a reasonable chance of finishing anywhere between fourth and ninth depending on how the results go. There is plenty to play for.
Manchester United eliminated Wolves from the FA Cup after a replay so there are no domestic cup commitments but the European adventure is ongoing. If they can get past Olympiakos, Wolves will be into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Wolves have one the smallest squads in the Premier League having used only 20 players in the competition all season and three of those have since departed the club. As a result, Nuno will need everyone fit and consider blooding some more youngsters if he is to fill the bench.
Thankfully, there are few injury concerns. Adama Traore had been nursing a shoulder problem but should be well rested and the whole group could have benefited from the break given that the Europa League campaign began in July.
Wolves were one of the last teams in action before football's postponement, drawing 1-1 away to Olympiakos in the first leg of their Europa League tie. Prior to that, there was a goalless draw against struggling Brighton at Molineux.
Form had been good with that result extending the club's unbeaten record in the Premier League to five games, a sequence that no other side among the top eight can beat. The pick of the performances came away to Tottenham in Wolves' most recent away game in the competition as they came from behind to win 3-2.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Wolves captain Conor Coady said: "All the lads are determined to hopefully get back on the pitch and get playing football. We love playing football, we love being out on the pitch. I think if we could get back it would be fantastic and that's something to look forward to.
"We've had a fantastic season - it's a season that we have loved and we don't want to forget about it so quickly. The run we've been on and the journey we've been on this season has been amazing.
"There's nine games left and I just hope that we can play it out and then see where we go, we want to keep on improving as a football club."
Wolves are in a good position to achieve a top-six finish but much will depend on whether these unprecedented circumstances suit them or not. Could the hectic schedule be too punishing for Nuno's small squad or will their compact game be easier to reproduce than the pressing style favoured by many of their rivals?
What is certain is that this is a huge opportunity for Wolves to continue their rapid progress under Nuno and secure another season of European football. The prospect of that coming in the Champions League cannot be ruled out.
Wolves to finish among the top four - 15/2 with Sky Bet
Wolves to finish among the top six - 6/5 with Sky Bet
Sky Sports will show 64 live Premier League games when the season resumes. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches will be available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.
Free-to-watch highlights of every remaining Premier League game this season will be available from shortly after the full-time whistle on the Sky Sports website, Sky Sports app and Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
