Wolves predicted line-up vs. Nottingham Forest: major change made as £13m star returns to starting XI

Wolves will be looking to break their way into the top half of the Premier League table with a win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon. Gary O'Neil's men picked up their first victory in three matches against relegation-threatened Burnley in midweek, and will be hoping for an equally fruitful outcome at Molineux this weekend.

Wanderers are currently lie 13th with 18 points from their first 15 matches, but could climb as high as ninth if they can see off Steve Cooper's struggling Forest side. For their part, the visitors have lost their last four top flight outings on the bounce, and were soundly demolished in a 5-0 defeat to Fulham on Wednesday.

Forest are now winless since beating Aston Villa on Bonfire Night, and have slipped to 16th in the table, just six points clear of the bottom three. Speculation is also beginning to mount over the future of the manager, although Cooper himself has been quick to brush off any suggestions that he is under pressure. Speaking on Thursday, he said: "It is like saying to a player you have to play well in the next game, or you will not play for the club again. So it is just not a thought process I believe in using."

But how will both sides line up on Saturday afternoon? We've taken a look at their respective team news and predicted XIs below...

Wolves Team News

Wolves are set to be without several first team players heading into the weekend. Pedro Neto is understood to be nearing a return to full fitness following a hamstring injury, but may not feature again until late December, while Joe Hodge is set to be out for a while longer as a consequence of shoulder surgery.

In better news, Rayan Ait-Nouri could be in contention, but it remains to be see whether or not he starts from the first whistle against Forest. Speaking about the full-back ahead of the win over Burnley, O'Neil said: “Depending on how painful it is, it could drag on a little bit longer than we would hope. He will miss tomorrow but we still hope he can play a big part next week because he's been very important to us so far.”

Elsewhere, Jonny Otto is not being considered for selection after a training ground incident and teenage forward Nathan Fraser is a doubt due to a muscular problem. Jose Sa is also a possible absentee, but has a greater chance of playing than his young teammate.

Wolves Predicted XI

Jose Sa; Max Kilman, Craig Dawson, Toti Gomes; Nelson Semedo, Mario Lemina, Jean-Ricner Bellegard, Joao Gomes, Hugo Bueno; Hwang Hee-chan, Matheus Cunha.

Nottingham Forest Team News

By comparison, Forest have relatively few injury issues to worry about as they prepare for their trip to Molineux. Key striker Taiwo Awoniyi is expected to be out until February with a groin problem, and towering defender Willy Boly is a minor doubt due to a hip complaint. Other than that, Cooper's men boast a clean bill of health.

Nottingham Forest Predicted XI

Odysseas Vlachodimos; Ola Aina, Felipe, Murillo, Neco Williams; Danilo, Orel Mangala, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga; Divock Origi.