Fulham head to Molineux this afternoon looking to build on back-to-back wins over Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion. Marco Silva is insistent that the Whites won’t find it easy against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who could easily have added Newcastle United to their list of away scalps this season had they scored whilst on top at St. James’ Park. Neither of these sides were expected to be secure in the mid-table safe haven, with Fulham’s stellar first season back at the top table dismissed as something of a fluke by most of the talking heads on television, whilst the bookies priced up Wanderers for relegation after Gary O’Neill’s arrival.

The former Bournemouth boss, harshly dispensed with by the Cherries having done a fine job of sorting out Scott Parker’s mess down at Dean Court, has taken Wolves to the top half of the table and an FA Cup quarter-final and his side will be competitive once again despite a lack of a fit number nine for this afternoon’s encounter. It is a testament to the calibre of the coach that he has beaten the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea twice, whilst surprising Manchester City in September, having taken charge of a side tipped for the drop after the end of Julian Lopetugui’s Molineux reign.

O’Neill has modestly rubbished talk of him being ‘a miracle worker’ but plenty of praise is merited when you consider that Wolves can still legitimately look at European qualification through the league whilst battling an injury list that still includes Hwang Hee-Chan, Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawson. The latter could come through a late fitness test to feature against Fulham, whilst Jose Sa, Pedro Neto and Joao Gomes should all be available to start later today. O’Neill’s squad is still packed full of Premier League pedigree even if goals have been hard to come by since Hwang picked up a hamstring injury in the warm-up at Bramall Lane. Fulham fans will need no introduction to Mario Lemina, who has become a regular goalscorer from central midfield during a superb season.

Silva waxed lyrical about the talent at his opposite number’s disposal as well as O’Neill’s underrated tactical acumen during his pre-match press conference yesterday. The Fulham head coach has been determined to make history since taking over at Craven Cottage and, after Alex Iwobi’s stoppage time winner at Manchester United ended a 21-year wait for a win at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, he might well be looking at ending the Whites’ barren league run at Molineux. A youthful side managed by Kit Symons did win an FA Cup tie on a penalty shoot-out in the snow a decade ago, but you have to go back to April 1985 for the Whites’ last league win at Wolves – when Ray Houghton’s opener was followed by a Tony Sealy hat-trick.

A four-goal margin seems fantastical when you consider that the Old Trafford triumph was only Fulham’s second away league win of the season after a scrappy opening weekend success at Everton. The Cottagers have failed to score on their last four top flight visits to Molineux, with Aleksandar Mitrovic missing a late spot-kick on a scorching summer’s day in a goalless draw last August. After a topsy-turvy meeting settled by a pair of disputed Willian penalties down by the banks of the Thames in November, Fulham could even complete a first league double over Wolves at the 44th attempt, but they will need to emulate the hosts’ intensity and application whilst quietening a passionate home crowd.

Silva has a few selection dilemmas to solve, too. The most pertinent concerns how to accommodate Joao Palhinha’s return from a two-match suspension for ten bookings. Europe’s top tackler must feature in the engine room if the Whites are going to get any change from Lemina and Gomes, but Harrison Reed stitched together his best two showings of the season in the past fortnight whilst Serbian international Sasa Lukic delivered a pair of peerless displays that had already elbowed captain Tom Cairney out of the starting line-up.

With Willian back to full fitness and former Wolves winger Adama Traore having opened his Fulham account, there will be added competition on the flanks for the in-form Iwobi and Harry Wilson, who scored one and made another as Fulham saw off Brighton despite the Seagulls having more than 70% possession at Craven Cottage last weekend. In the continued absence of Raul Jimenez, a revitalised Rodrigo Muniz should lead the line in the west Midlands having hit a remarkable five goals in as many games. The Brazilian’s battle with former Fulham youngster Max Kilman should be one of the intriguing sub-plots to this enthralling encounter.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Bassey; Palhinha, Lukic; Wilson, Iwobi, Pereira; Muniz. Subs: Rodak, Tete, Diop, Ream, Reed, Cairney, Willian, Traore, De Cordova-Reid, Broja.