**Chelsea**will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing cup exit at Arsenal in the week, with a positive result against the side rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had somewhat of a resurgence in recent weeks, particularly at the start of January when they claimed their first home win of the season and followed this up with two draws.
They have, however, lost their last two games and this included a home defeat to Bournemouth last week. **Rob Edwards'**side remain on eight points and still in search of four more points to break Derby County's record for the lowest total in a season.
**Liam Rosenior's**side, meanwhile, are currently 5th and they have won all three league games since Rosenior took charge at the club. They are very much in the race to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
Last week, they came from being 2-0 down at half time to turn it around and beat West Ham 3-2 at ****Stamford Bridge.****It was a game in which they had to be careful as the Hammers were comfortably the better side in the first half.
The manner in which they conceded the goals will disappoint Rosenior, but he made substitutions at half time and three of the players who came off the bench played a significant role in the second half performance.
Plenty of recent history between the sides
Wolves and Chelsea have already faced each other twice this season, with the sides meeting in the EFL Cup in October.
On that occasion, the Blues won the match 4-3 and were leading 3-0 at half time. The West Midlands side pulled it back, but it was the Londoners who progressed.
In the league fixture at Stamford Bridge, a week later, it was again Enzo Maresca's side who came out on top with a 3-0 win, and a goal for former Wolves player Pedro Neto.
Last season, Chelsea completed a league double over Wolves with a 3-1 home win and then an emphatic 6-2 win on their last Premier League visit to **Molineux**in August 2024. On that day, they took the lead after just two minutes as former Chelsea player Noni Madueke scored a hat trick.
Therefore, this is a fixture that has produced goals and one in which Chelsea have some positive recent history with.
Squad injuries and risks
There is little doubt that Rosenior has a strong squad of players but he is having to manage the minutes of several key players at the moment.
Reece James and Pedro Neto are two important players but they were not involved in the squad that travelled across London to Arsenal in the week. They could miss the Wolves game due to injury.
Jamie Gittens went off injured in the West Ham game and will definitely not be available this weekend.
The manager is also needing to look out for Estevao and Cole Palmer as both players return from time away from the side.
He would love to have all of his players to choose from all of the time but with another game coming up in midweek, there will be a feeling that no unnecessary risks will be taken.
Chelsea will know not to underestimate Wolves because there will likely still be a belief from the home side that they can now cause teams problems, even if it does not alter the outcome of their season.
The expectations will be that Chelsea gain the three points but that is something that they still have to live up to and deliver the goods.
If they score an early goal then they could be expected to score several more, as recent history suggests.
However, if Wolves can keep the game level for as long as possible, then they may be able to frustrate them. For example, in a game at Molineux in mid-January, Rob Edwards side came away with a 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle United.
The Blues come into the match as one of the most in form teams in the league, along with Manchester United, and both of those sides will be looking to pick up wins this weekend to increase their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. It would also add extra pressure on Liverpool for their game with Manchester City.