Wolverhampton Wanderers will begin their preparations for the 2023-24 Premier League season with a friendly against Portuguese top-flight outfit Vitoria de Guimaraes on Sunday.
Julen Lopetegui's side are building towards their league opener against Manchester United on August 14, while Vitoria will be in competitive action on July 26, taking on Celje in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.
Match preview
Vitoria's pre-season begins with back-to-back matches against Middlesbrough and Wolves on Saturday and Sunday respectively, while they will also take on Fafe, Rio Ave and Boavista as part of their preparations for the 2023-24 campaign.
Moreno's side, as mentioned, will begin competitive action at the end of this month, facing Celje in the first leg of their second qualifying round contest in the Europa Conference League on July 26, before welcoming the Slovenian outfit for the return fixture at the start of August.
Vitoria's 2023-24 league campaign will then begin away to Estrela on August 12, and they finished sixth in Portugal's top flight last term, seven points ahead of seventh-placed Chaves.
Os Conquistadores have boosted their squad with a number of new signings already this summer; Ricardo Mangas is the most high-profile of those, arriving from Boavista, while Ze Carlos and Adrian Butzke are among the players to have made the move to the club since the window opened.
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Wolves, meanwhile, were last in action on the final matchday of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Lopetegui's side finished 13th in the table last season, picking up 41 points from their 38 matches, which ultimately left them seven points ahead of the relegation zone.
Wolves have made two signings during the summer window, bringing in Tom King to boost their goalkeeping department, while Boubacar Traore has arrived from Metz on a permanent basis after spending last season on loan at Molineux.
The top-flight side are building towards their league opener against Man United on August 14, while their first home game of the season will be against Brighton & Hove Albion on August 19.
There remains speculation surrounding Lopetegui's future, with the Spaniard thought to be wanted by Al-Hilal, but he recently insisted that he is planning to stay with Wolves this summer.
Team News
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As mentioned, Vitoria are also in action on Saturday against Middlesbrough, so head coach Moreno will make full use of his squad over the next two games.
The home side could potentially name five debutants in their side, and it would not be a surprise to see different XIs used for each half of the contest, potentially the same as the day before against Boro.
Andre Silva is expected to feature in the final third of the field, with the forward set to be joined by Alisson Safira, while Tiago Silva could also be named in the XI.
Wolves, meanwhile, have a large squad out in Portugal, with the first-team players not involved for their countries this summer expected to feature in the contest.
Lopetegui has also brought a number of youngsters to the warm-weather training camp, in addition to senior players who have returned from loan spells.
Raul Jimenez is among those available, in addition to Chiquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic following injury returns, but Pedro Neto, Fabio Silva and Traore are absent due to their international commitments over the summer.
Vitoria de Guimaraes possible starting lineup:
Charles; Ze Carlos, Bamba, Fernandes, Freitas; Handel, Manu, Indio; T Silva, A Silva, Safira
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Bentley; Toti, Dawson, Kilman, Jonny; Nunes, Hodge; Sarabia, Jordao, Chiquinho; Jimenez
We say: Vitoria de Guimaraes 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Vitoria will certainly provide competitive opposition for Wolves, and we are expecting a close match on Sunday. It is difficult to know exactly what to expect, as Vitoria are also in action on Saturday, but we are predicting that the spoils will be shared.
No Data Analysis info
Matt Law
