TEAM NEWS
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez, and Romeo Lavia missed Friday’s training and may not play. Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are still unavailable.
Wolves’ Mario Lemina is back in contention after apologising to Vitor Pereira for sitting out the Newcastle match. Matheus Cunha has been unwell with flu and might miss out too.
Toti Gomes is likely to return next week from his hamstring problem, while Boubacar Traore is training again. Sasa Kalajdzic and Yerson Mosquera remain out with long-term injuries.
VITOR PEREIRA
Pereira confirmed Matheus Cunha has been “a bit sick” and out of training, but there is a “possibility” he can be ready for the game.
He also confirmed Nelson Semedo is training, Toti Gomes is “recovering well” and could return in a week, while Boubacar Traore is “working with us now” and Sasa Kalajdzic is working with the medical department.
After Mario Lemina asked to be left out of the squad for the midweek match, Pereria explained: “What I learn in my life, if we speak every time truly then we don’t have problems. Because what happens? Last time I came to the press conference I thought he was in for the game, then he asked me to be out of the game because mentally he wasn’t in condition [to play]. Today he came to me, he asked to apologise to me and the team. He said he is ready to do his best for the team until we have a solution and decision.”
On if the apology has been accepted by himself and the midfielder’s team-mates: “We can make mistakes in life, I did some mistakes in my life. We must give him the opportunity to show in the act not with words. I believe he spoke with his heart and he will try, I am here to see if he can or not, if he can help – OK. If he cannot, I prefer to go with another one who is committed.”
The Wolves boss said the club are “doing our work” and is hopeful they can bring “one or two” players in before the end of the window.
On what kind of player he is hoping to bring in: “More solutions, more solutions to help. I’m very happy with the team and players I have, but we need more solutions in midfield, maybe another defender. We are trying to understand the market, it depends what we find. If we find the right players to bring – OK. If not, it is better to bring no-one.”
On if he would be accepting if they did not sign anybody new: “It will be the reality and I must face my life with reality, not with dreams. I will face with the same energy and looking for a good future. We know to be more comfortable with this fight, difficult fight, we need at least two more players.”
Pereira said absent forward Cunha brings the “creativity” to the side as he is “unpredictable” and can “take a rabbit and magic in the moment on the pitch and create something special”.
He said there is a “clear picture” for the squad and in this moment they “need to improve offensively and defensively”.
MATCH STATS & FACTS
Head-to-head
Chelsea ended a run of three straight league defeats against Wolves by winning this season’s reverse fixture 6-2 at Molineux in August.
After a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge last season, Wolves are aiming to secure back-to-back league wins at Chelsea for the first time since February 1964.
Chelsea
Chelsea are winless in five leagues games (D3, L2), immediately following a run of five straight victories.
Just 43% of their points this season have come at home (16 of 37), the lowest proportion in the top flight.
They have kept just one clean sheet at home in the league this season.
The Blues dropped two points from winning positions in their first 17 league matches under Enzo Maresca, but have lost seven points in their subsequent four games (D2, L2).
Cole Palmer (14 goals, six assists) is the first Chelsea player to register 20 or more top-flight goal involvements in consecutive campaigns since Eden Hazard did so in three straight seasons between 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Palmer has been involved in five goals in his last two league appearances against Wolves, scoring two and assisting three.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves earned seven points from their opening three matches under Vitor Pereira but have subsequently suffered successive 3-0 league defeats.
They could become the first side to lose their opening three top-flight games of a calendar year by three or more goals since Nottingham Forest in 1910.
Seven of their Premier League starting XIs this season have not contained an Englishman, only one occasion fewer than the total of the other 19 teams combined.
Wolves have gone 22 league matches in London without keeping a clean sheet.
Matheus Cunha scored a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge in Wolves’ 4-2 win last season.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long. Fourth official: Stuart Attwell. VAR: Matt Donohue. Assistant VAR: Dan Cook.
MATCH INFO
This one will be shown live on Sky Sports Monday Night Football. Kick off at Stamford Bridge is 8pm.