Wolverhampton Wanderers will continue their preparations for the start of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a pre-season clash against Coventry City on Sunday afternoon.
Wolves are building towards their league opener against Leicester City on August 14, while Coventry will begin their Championship campaign at home to Nottingham Forest on August 8.
Match preview
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Coventry have only actually played three matches during pre-season, losing to Sevilla in their first friendly of the summer on July 17 before suffering back-to-back defeats to Cheltenham Town and Mansfield Town.
The Sky Blues had been due to take on Norwich City on July 28, but the fixture with the Premier League club had to be called off at the final minute, with the Canaries having coronavirus cases in their squad.
Coventry will therefore complete their pre-season preparations against Wolves on Sunday afternoon before opening their 2021-22 Championship campaign at home to Nottingham Forest on August 8.
Mark Robins's side, who finished 16th in the second tier last term, will also take on Northampton Town in the EFL Cup on August 11 before returning to league action away to Barnsley three days later.
Coventry have been relatively busy this summer in terms of incomings, with Martyn Waghorn, Simon Moore, Bright Enobakhare, Ben Sheaf and Viktor Gyokeres arriving, while the loan signing of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea was announced on Friday afternoon.
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Wolves, meanwhile, have played three times during pre-season, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Crewe Alexandra in their opening friendly on July 17 before beating Real Betis 1-0 on July 24.
The Premier League club suffered a 3-2 defeat to Las Palmas in their last outing, meanwhile, with Ki-Jana Hoever and Morgan Gibbs-White on the scoresheet in Bruno Lage's third game at the helm.
Wolves will take on Stoke City on Saturday afternoon before facing Coventry 24 hours later, and it will be interesting to see how the club's new head coach manages his squad.
The four-time FA Cup winners will round off their preparations for the new campaign with a friendly against Celta Vigo next weekend before opening their 2021-22 season away to Leicester on August 14.
Wolves have not been overly busy this summer in terms of incomings, but they have signed Rayan Ait Nouri on a permanent deal, while Jose Sa, Yerson Mosquera and Francisco Trincao have all arrived, with the latter moving to Molineux on loan from Barcelona.
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Team News
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Coventry could include Maatsen in the squad following his move from Chelsea, while there should be another start in midfield for Sheaf, who has arrived from Arsenal this summer.
Head coach Robins will want to make full use of his squad once again, but the 51-year-old will also be thinking about his team's Championship opener, meaning that there could be fewer opportunities for youngsters.
Jodi Jones, Will Bapaga and Tyler Walker could again feature in the final third of the field, while there is likely to be another chance for highly-rated youngster Ryan Howley to impress.
As for Wolves, it is difficult to know exactly what to expect when it comes to team selection, as the Premier League club will also be in action against Stoke on Saturday.
Summer arrivals Sa and Mosquera both started against Las Palmas, and there is every chance that the pair could be included in the XI once again, while Fabio Silva might lead the line.
Ruben Neves continues to be linked with a move away from Molineux, but the Portugal international should start, while Joao Moutinho and Gibbs-White are also in line for roles in the first XI.
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Wilson; Dacosta, Drysdale, Mason, Reid; Allen, Sheaf, Howley; Jones, Bapaga, Walker
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; Semedo, Mosquera, Saiss, Marcal; Trincao, Moutinho, Neves, Denconcker, Gibbs-White; Silva
We say: Coventry City 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
This should be a good workout for both clubs ahead of their respective seasons, and we are expecting an open and entertaining contest. Coventry will want to finish their pre-season with a positive result, but we fancy Wolves to shade this match in terms of the scoreline.
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