Big test for Adama Traore to regain last season’s impressive form as Wolves host Sheffield United on Saturday night

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Adama Traore netted a 92nd minute winner last time out for the Wanderers in what marked his first Premier League goal since December 2019 – but it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard can recoup the form that earned him a reported £135m price tag, amid interest from Manchester City last summer.

Before the winger’s goal against Fulham, he’d had the most shots in the Premier League (28) without scoring this season – what a fall from grace after performing like one of the league’s best wide men during the 2019/20 campaign.

Despite his lack of output on the scoring front, Traore has dribbled past 149 players this year, the most in Europe’s top five leagues and 27 more than Lionel Messi in second-place.

Furthermore, there could be an argument that the player has transformed his game in to a playmaking style, creating a total of 31 chances in the league this season with seven games to play. The single assist he’s tallied this year may disagree, however.

Wolves, as a whole, are a shadow of the team they were last season. In 2020, at this same point in the campaign, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side sat sixth in the Premier League – level on points with Manchester United at 49.

Fast forward to April 2021, and the West Midlands side are in 12th place with just 38 points. Moreover, last season’s Wolves had 12 wins at this stage compared to this season’s ten. Not much of a difference, but when you compare six losses last season to 13 this season, the contrast is crystal clear.

Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Nuno expects a tough matchup and will not underestimate the bottom-of-the-table side who have pulled off shock wins against teams such as Manchester United this season.

“They are a good team – they showed and proved to everybody before. One thing is for sure, the character and determination is there, so we can look at Sheffield United and see they’ve had a difficult season, but the character of that group of players is there, so we expect a very tough match.”

Star man Pedro Neto will miss Saturday’s game, and most likely the rest of the season by way of a knee injury sustained during last week’s 1-0 win at Craven Cottage.

Ruben Neves recently tested positive for COVID-19 and will also miss out, alongside Joao Moutinho and Marcal who are still recovering from groin issues.

Raul Jimenez will be unsurprisingly absent after suffering a fractured skull in November against Arsenal but the hosts have been handed a boost as Willy Boly is back in training and available for the game.

The visitors have also been dealt an injury blow in their frontline as Billy Sharp and Oli McBurnie have been ruled out for the remainder of the season, as well as Sander Berge, Chris Basham, Jack Robinson and Jack Rodwell who will remain on the sidelines.

Blades caretaker boss Paul Heckingbottom gave his own players a warning, reiterating the dangerous nature of the hosts’ attack.

“They’ve got the threats with the pace of someone like [Adama] Traore,” Heckingbottom told Yorkshire Live. They also deploy the wing-backs who like to get high up the pitch. Daniel Podence has added a different dimension to them too. If he plays, behind the front man or up front.”

Sheffield United are all but relegated, sitting rock bottom of the Premier League with just 14 points so far this season. Their opponents will be looking to finish strongly and break in to the top half of the table, currently seven points off 10th placed Leeds United.