Wolves need a response at Turf Moor tonight, but must find it without Adam Armstrong and Raúl Jiménez. Burnley, meanwhile, have taken four points since the international break and are trying to turn that improvement into a home win.
Wolves face a test of their response
Back-to-back league defeats have changed the mood around Wolves' restart. They lost 1-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday, then 3-1 at home to Bolton on Tuesday. Before the break, league wins over Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion had offered a very different picture.
César Peixoto's side now need to stop that sequence while short of two senior strikers. Wolves' official preview confirms Armstrong is ruled out with a back problem and Jiménez is set for knee surgery on Friday. That leaves the visitors with an immediate challenge in attack, without assuming who will take their places.
There is recent encouragement on the road: Wolves won 1-0 at Sheffield United in September. But the Middlesbrough defeat means they cannot treat that result as proof that another away match will look after itself.
Burnley have improved, but the home win is still missing
Burnley's 4-0 victory at Watford last weekend was their first league win of the season. They followed it with a 2-2 draw against Charlton, although a stoppage-time equaliser made Tuesday feel more like an opportunity lost than another step forward.
The four points are still a better return. Nicky Hayen's side have scored six goals in those two games after a difficult opening to the campaign. The next task is to give the home crowd a league win, rather than another draw.
Burnley's recent Turf Moor results include 1-1 draws with Middlesbrough and Derby, a 2-1 defeat by Bristol City and Tuesday's draw with Charlton. Wolves arrive with problems of their own, but the Clarets still have to turn their improved scoring into three points at home.
What matters on Friday night
For Wolves, another defeat would make it three league losses in a row. A result here would interrupt that slide before the next round of fixtures. For Burnley, the chance is to build on Watford and put the disappointment of Charlton's late goal behind them.
The teams have different reasons to want a quick response. Burnley's improved return meets a Wolves side looking to recover the results it was getting before the break.
Kick-off and supporter information
Burnley v Wolves — Friday 16 October, 8pm BST
Turf Moor
Championship
Wolves' away allocation is sold out. The club advises supporters attending to download their digital tickets before the game. Its matchday guide has the ticketing and stadium details.
Follow our fixture schedule and latest results for the rest of the weekend's football.
Sources: Wolves' official preview and matchday guide, the EFL fixture confirmation, and current fixtures and completed results. Records are those before kick-off.
