Wolverhampton Wanderers welcome newly-promoted Luton Town to Molineux in an all-Premier League friendly on Wednesday evening.
Wolves recorded a 1-1 draw with Scottish champions Celtic last time out, while the Hatters came from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.
Match preview
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Despite the ongoing questions regarding the future of manager Julen Lopetegui, Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed a successful pre-season on the pitch, picking up two wins and one draw to remain unbeaten.
Following a 2-1 victory over Vitoria de Guimaraes in their first warm-up match, Wolves secured a 1-0 win against Porto before playing out a 1-1 draw with Celtic on Saturday, courtesy of Matheus Cunha's 86th-minute equaliser.
As he prepares for his first full season as Wolves manager, Lopetegui is reportedly frustrated with a lack of signings as the transfer deadline looms, with the club's apparent financial issues hampering incoming deals.
The Wanderers have already sold key midfielder Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, while Raul Jiminez, Conor Coady and Nathan Collins have also left Molineux this summer.
After finishing 13th in the Premier League last term – seven points clear of the relegation zone with the worst offensive record in the division – Wolves will be eager to put their problems behind them and start afresh in 2023-24.
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Luton Town began their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town, with a 75th-minute Carlton Morris penalty cancelling out Nathan Broadhead's 14th-minute opener.
The Hatters continued their unbeaten start to pre-season with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, as Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu equalised midway through the first half before Morris netted the winner on 82 minutes.
It is no surprise that Morris has been Luton's standout performer in the lead-up to the 2023-24 campaign, as the prolific striker scored 20 goals in 44 Championship appearances last term, contributing six assists for good measure.
Having gained promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs last season, Luton are on the verge of starting their first top-flight campaign since 1992, thanks largely to the efforts of highly-rated manager Rob Edwards.
Believe it or not, the Hatters were playing in the fifth tier of English football as recently as 2013-14, but a remarkable run of four promotions in 10 years has catapulted the club into the Premier League.
Team News
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Not only have Wolves sold Neves, Jimenez, Coady and Collins this summer, but they have also released Joao Moutinho, Diego Costa and Adama Traore, with Chiquinho and Ki-Jana Hoever joining Stoke City on loan.
Cunha's loan deal from Atletico Madrid has been turned into a permanent move, while Matt Doherty has returned to Molineux after failing to impress Atletico manager Diego Simeone.
Craig Dawson and Max Kilman are expected to continue at centre-back on Wednesday, with Mario Lemina and Matheus Nunes likely to resume their midfield partnership.
As for Luton Town, Ryan Giles will be eager to impress against his former club after joining the Hatters from Wolves earlier this summer, having experienced eight loan spells since 2018.
Luton have also signed Tahith Chong from Birmingham and Mads Andersen from Barnsley, while Marvelous Nakamba has returned to Kenilworth Road after a successful loan spell last term.
Morris and Elijah Adebayo will likely return to Luton's starting XI after starting on the bench last time out, with Chiedozie Ogbene and Cauley Woodrow expected to make way.
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno; Hodge, Lemina, Nunes; Sarabia, Cunha, Neto
Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Shea; Kabore, Andersen, Lockyer, Bell; Doughty, Nakamba, Mpanzu, Chong; Adebayo, Morris
We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-2 Luton Town
Given that both sides have enjoyed positive pre-season results up to now, we expect Wolves and Luton to dish up a closely-fought battle on Wednesday, with a draw looking like the most probable outcome.
No Data Analysis info
Ben Morris
