Wolverhampton Wanderers will continue their preparations for the 2021-22 campaign with a pre-season clash against Segunda Division outfit Las Palmas on Monday morning.
Wolves are building towards their Premier League opener against Leicester City on August 14, while Las Palmas will begin their league season at home to Real Valladolid on August 15.
Match preview
Las Palmas were a top-tier side in Spain between 2015 and 2018 but have played the last three seasons in the Segunda Division, finishing ninth in their last two campaigns at that level of football.
La Union Deportiva will be looking to challenge for promotion to La Liga next term, and they have the well-respected Pepe Mel at the helm; the 58-year-old has previous experience of managing in the Premier League, having taken charge of West Bromwich Albion in 2014, but he only lasted four months at the club.
Las Palmas have played twice this summer, opening their preparations for the new season with a 1-0 win over Espanyol on July 21 before suffering a 1-0 loss to Sevilla on Thursday.
The Canary islanders are due to take on Wolves and Cadiz on July 26 and July 27 respectively, but at this moment in time, the club do not have any more confirmed friendlies ahead of their Segunda Division opener against Real Valladolid, who were relegated from La Liga last term.
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Wolves, meanwhile, opened their preparations for the 2021-22 campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Crewe Alexandra last weekend, as Bruno Lage took control of the team for the first time.
The result would have been disappointing for the new head coach, but Raul Jimenez's return from a serious head injury was a major plus for Wolves, with the Mexican given 33 minutes of action in the friendly contest.
Wolves will take on Real Betis in their second friendly of the summer on Saturday evening before returning to the field less than 48 hours later to tackle Las Palmas.
The Premier League club will then take on Stoke City, Coventry City and Celta Vigo in their final three pre-season matches before opening their 2021-22 season against Leicester on August 14.
Lage's side have been relatively busy this summer in terms of incomings, with Jose Sa and Francisco Trincao among those to arrive, and it will be interesting to see how many more players pitch up at Molineux before the transfer deadline, as the club enter a new era following Nuno Espirito Santo's departure.
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Team News
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Las Palmas have been busy this summer in terms of signings, with Unai Veiga, Enrico Ferigra, Rafa Mujica, Pinchi, Raul Navas and Adalberto Penaranda all arriving at the club.
There will be some new faces on display for the Segunda Division club in Marbella, while former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain attacker Jese Rodriguez is also in line to take to the field.
Head coach Mel will ring the changes throughout the pre-season clash, with Oscar Clemente, Fabio Gonzalez and Maikel Mesa all set to be involved against their Premier League opponents.
Wolves boss Lage will make full use of his squad during the clashes with Betis and Las Palmas, and Jimenez is again expected to feature in both matches, as he continues his recovery following a lengthy absence.
The English side are still missing players due to their involvement in Euro 2020, meaning that Lage will again hand opportunities to the youngsters that are training with the first team.
That said, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Nelson Semedo could all be involved, having linked up with the squad, while new signings Sa and Yerson Mosquera are expected to feature against Las Palmas.
Neves continues to be linked with a move away from Molineux, with Arsenal and Manchester United both interested, but any potential deal for the Portugal international is not advanced.
Head To Head
Monday's meeting will be the first time that these two sides have locked horns in any competition.
Las Palmas have only ever faced English opposition on one previous occasion, taking on Ipswich Town in the second round of the 1977-78 UEFA Cup, with the Blues recording a 4-3 aggregate win.
Wolves, meanwhile, have previously taken on Espanyol, Barcelona and Sevilla in terms of Spanish opposition, picking up just one victory across those five matches, losing four times in the process.
We say: Las Palmas 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Las Palmas are more than capable of making this a very difficult contest for Wolves, which is exactly what Lage will want at this stage of the team's preparations. We are expecting an entertaining contest in Marbella and have backed the Premier League outfit to run out narrow winners.
Matt Law
