WOLVES CAN’T WAIT FOR WEMBLEY NOW

FIVE days before his club’s biggest game in a generation, Nuno Espirito Santo disregarded any thoughts of resting key players and went strong against Manchester United. With an FA Cup semi-final against Watford on Sunday, and a chance to lift silverware for the first time since 1980, the Wolves manager must have been tempted to give Joao Moutinho, Diogo Jota or Conor Coady a break — three players who had played 90 minutes at Burnley on Saturday. Not a bit of it — and Wolves duly recorded a second win against United in 17 days. ‘It was a good night, a good game of football,’ said Nuno. ‘What more can you ask? We know it was very difficult. The extra effort the boys had to make and how they react to the first goal — I’m really pleased.’ Nuno knows his squad, and given the majority were with him during the grind of winning the Championship, he also knows they are able to perform consistently during the cycle of midweek and weekend matches. Only 18 different players have started a Premier League game for them this season. So Moutinho, Jota, and Coady were all picked, as were Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Raul Jimenez to form Nuno’s premier attacking unit. It meant that, while Wolves started raggedly, thankful to Rui Patricio for two very good saves either side of Scott McTominay’s opener, they had the quality and inner belief to strike back. From a goal-kick by David de Gea they equalised. Moutinho, as tenacious as he is technical, nipped at Fred’s poor touch, Dendoncker gave it to Jimenez and his pass to Jota was perfection. Jimenez and Jota have struck up a superb partnership, and this was the fourth goal out of the last six for Wolves that one has assisted the other to score. Nuno roared with ferocity. There are no better assets than forwards in form. Scoring is an adrenalin vastly more effective than a night spent with feet up. ‘This will give us confidence on Sunday,’ said Jimenez. When Wolves went ahead in the 77th minute Nuno’s selection was vindicated. ‘Que sera sera’ reverberated around Molineux, with 31,000 looking ahead to Wembley. ‘We have to work and keep going,’ said Nuno. ‘The preparation starts now.’