We won the opening game of the group stages but we're up against a team favorites to win the cup as well as the league. Alex has turned this Wolves team into an oustanding outfit and I seem them as favorites in this encounter. They enjoyed a wonderful start to the season and playing with high confidence. We know if we're at our best we're able to give them a good run for the points but it won't be easy when we're playing away from home. There isn't much depth in this Eagles team and we can't afford to drop our best players. They will be fatigued by playing as often as they have to but hopefully we're able to perform well this early in the season.
We were very unlucky to lose our opening game in this one and it's left us with work to do to get out of the group stage. We did manage to bounce back with a good win in the league at the weekend and now we need to keep that going against a very good manager
This game would have been easy against an unmanaged team last season but with Ed at the helm it is a completely different proposition. We've had some tough battles with him over the years and both of us have come out on top at various points.
Whilst we have chosen to trade in star names to add depth, the Eagles have held onto theirs and so undoubtedly have the best players on the pitch with Vicario, Hall and Savinho all potential match winners for them. It is probably a bit too early in the season for our depth to pay off at this stage so we expect a tough scrap.
We are at full strength with Kieren Tierney expected to join before the game but he is unlikely to feature as he won't quite be ready as yet. So the senior squad will be much as was from the weekend with the obvious exception of Crabtree who has gone the other way to bring in Tierney.
We need a win to get back in this cup and with a home game that gives us a fighting chance. We've been good at home in the league so far but having already lost once at home in this, we can't afford another one. A big game very early in the season...
