Chelsea v Wolves preview: Bruno Lage trying to get back on track at the Bridge

Tomorrow’s game will be the meeting of two out of form sides with Wolves losing their last three games and Chelsea winning just one of their last four.

Lage’s men have hit the lowest ebb of their season with disastrous performances against Newcastle, Burnley and Brighton – making it seven losses in the last 10 matches.

Now, ahead of a difficult trip to third-placed Chelsea, Lage believes luck has not been in Wolves’ favour but admits that improvements are needed in both the short and long-term.

“Some games we played with a better team, some games we were the better team and didn’t win,” Lage said.

“Look back at some games there’s been a lot of mistakes against us. Against Leeds we did a good performance and didn’t win the game.

“This competition is about that, continuing to win. There are things we need to improve, especially in the next year.

“We have a lot of work to continue to do and one of them is that, the dynamic in front. Be more aggressive to attack the space, put guys behind defenders to run and we don’t have it.

“We are working hard to change a little bit the profile of the players, even to change a little bit how they play between the lines and some of them can improve, others no.”

Scoring goals has been one of Wolves’ biggest problems all season, having bagged just 33 in 34 Premier League games.

That leaves Wolves fourth bottom for goals scored this campaign after they failed to find the back of the net in their last three games.

Despite Wolves’ European ambitions this season, Lage insists their goals scored column does not warrant their current position and has targeted that as an area for change.

He added: “It’s not the recent games, since the first day if you look at the games that we’ve scored, how many teams have less goals than us? The cumulative work made a big difference because the goals we’ve scored is not enough to be eighth.

“That’s why it’s so important the way the team works. It’s not just about scoring but the way we play.

“We were not aggressive to create our chances (against Brighton) and if you look back it’s so easy for them to have chances.”

Wolves have been handed more bad news on the injury front after Nelson Semedo announced on his Instagram that he will miss the last four games of the season.

The right-wing-back needed help hobbling off the pitch during last week’s loss to Brighton after injuring his right hamstring – the same injury he sustained away at Arsenal in February. Semedo spent five weeks on the sidelines with that strain, but the severity of this latest injury remains to be seen. He joins Max Kilman, who has an ankle knock, on the treatment table while Daniel Podence is fighting to be fit with a foot complaint.

Opposition view

Chelsea could be handed a triple injury boost ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

Thomas Tuchel’s side will be looking to bounce back from their defeat at Everton with their top four place now looking less secure, having won just one of their last four games. Despite Arsenal and Spurs gaining momentum, Chelsea are five points clear of fifth-placed Spurs with four games remaining and their top four place is still in their own hands.

Ahead of Wolves’ visit to West London, Tuchel could be handed an injury boost as Andreas Christensen, N’Golo Kante and Ross Barkley target returns.

Danish centre-back Christensen was expected to be back for the defeat at Everton but missed his third consecutive game after being ruled out of the West Ham and Manchester United games with stomach cramps. Kante missed the Everton fixture because the midfielder was ‘in pain’ during the trip to Old Trafford, but he is expected to return against Wolves.

It remains to be seen whether Tuchel will risk starting him with one eye on the FA Cup final against Liverpool on May 14.

Barkley was another player expected to return at Everton and face his former club, having missed the clash with United due to illness.

He trained ahead of the Everton game but was not ready to be included.

With a week of training under his belt he is likely to be in the squad to face Wolves.

Meanwhile, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ben Chilwell are long-term absentees. Hudson-Odoi has not played since January and recently suffered a setback on an unspecificed injury, while Chilwell is out for the season.