Nuno: Wolves in the mix for promotion

Wolves have made an impressive start to life under Nuno, winning five of seven matches in all competitions.

They sit fourth in the Championship table with 10 points from five fixtures and hopes are high that, with injury victim Helder Costa soon to return, they can mount a promotion challenge this season.

And Nuno believes they have the quality to be in the mix.

“We are in the fight,” he said when asked if his squad was good enough to challenge. “We look at us...we must improve but we are doing very well.

“The team has character, it’s solid. All teams must be built from the back, all the projects must be built from the back...and we are building from the back. In our defence, in the club, in the squad.”

There’s been a high turnover of players this summer, yet Wolves and their new boss have settled quickly in the Championship.

What has Nuno made of the division so far?

“It’s very competitive, this is no surprise for me,” he said. “I did my homework before I took this challenge.

“Where I was before, it’s my past. This is a different reality – but my idea. The idea of how we play is getting there.

“I’m very proud of the boys, the way they come into training sessions to really improve.”

Nuno’s only line-up change in his first five Championship fixtures was to replace the injured Barry Douglas with Ruben Vinagre last time out.

There could be more for the visit of Millwall tomorrow though, with Douglas expected to return and centre-half Willy Boly ruled out with a hamstring complaint.

Danny Batth and Ryan Bennett, who have both impressed in Wolves’ run to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, are vying to replace Boly.

Ivan Cavaleiro may also get his first league start of the season in place of Bright Enobakhare, but one man likely to retain his place is ‘survivor’ Matt Doherty.

The wing-back has seen a fair amount of change over his seven years at the club, but the Irishman is still firmly in the head coach’s plans.

“Yes I have survived a fair bit over the last seven years,” says Doherty. “But if I am honest not a lot has changed off the field. Maybe I am more experienced and I am there if needed but it isn’t like I am giving the boys advice on how to cope with the Championship. I am still learning in that respect myself and could go out and get skinned by a winger next week!

“I have been here for seven years now, and don’t want to go anywhere else soon!”

Doherty will come face-to-face with two players who departed over the summer – Jed Wallace and George Saville, both expected to line up for the Lions tomorrow.

Ahead of the reunion, Doherty said: “Both he and Jed have been playing well for Millwall and are happy there.

“It is nice to see them doing well but hopefully that won’t be the case this weekend!”