Lopetegui on Hwang return, Podence charge and facing Lampard

Hwang Hee-chan is available to play and there is no other fresh injury news, although captain Ruben Neves is suspended for the next two matches.

Following the news Daniel Podence has been charged by the FA for alleged spitting, Lopetegui confirmed Wolves will contest it: “The club is working on this. The fact is very clear, he never spat at anyone, 100%.”

When asked about facing Chelsea after Frank Lampard’s appointment as caretaker manager, he said: “With a new coach we don’t know if he is going to change anything or not, so this is not under our control and we have to put focus in our work and not in Lampard’s work.”

On whether he can take anything from his previous game against Lampard this season, a 2-1 win at Everton in December: “It is very different, it is a new team and new time, same coach but different moment and different team and different game for sure.”

On the relegation battle: “It’s not easy to win in the Premier League for any team. We are fighting to be out of the relegation [zone], we are going to continue fighting. It’s going to be a very hard and long race for a lot of teams.”