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Villa v Wolves preview: 'Massive' game says Benik Afobe

Wolves sent a message to their rivals with a convincing win at Leeds, Benik Afobe believes, as he eyes up another three points in tomorrow's 'massive' derby.

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Wolves ended a three-game winless run – their poorest of the season – in emphatic style at Elland Road.

Substitute Afobe got on the scoresheet with a clinical 25-yard lob, his first goal since returning to the club on loan from Bournemouth.

And he said: "Other teams won on Tuesday night so it showed a great message that we're ready and we're still here.

"It's a massive one on Saturday against a big side like Villa.

"There's always going to be pressure, there are 11 games to go and we're top of the league. Every game is pressure.

"We want to win whether teams won or lost on Tuesday night, we don't really care. We just want to be winning.

"If we win all our games we go up, that's how we're thinking about it. It's in our hands.

"Villa have found form, they've got a good manager and players, but every game is a cup final now.

"That's what you dream of as a kid, playing in games where there are massive pressure moments where the country's watching. That's what I've wanted since I was young.

"We're in that situation now. We know what we have to do.

"It'll be a tough game but we believe in ourselves and hopefully we can get the win."

Afobe admitted he was thinking too much about his goalscoring chances in his previous five substitute appearances.

At Leeds the striker said he got back to his natural game – and had tried to ape other forwards in the squad in previous games.

Has he had to adapt his game to suit Nuno's preferred style?

"Yes and no," Afobe replied.

"You have to understand you're playing with different team mates, you have to learn the qualities of different players, when someone gets the ball they might show a defender this way, or you might need help to come to feet, or this guy is good at long balls.

"You have to adapt but at the same time I didn't want to change too much of my game.

"I haven't come here to be like another forward that we already have – I've come to show my qualities. So it's a bit of both, we're adapting to each other.

"Some games I've played already I've tried to play like other players. But I thought on Wednesday let me go back to playing my game, running in behind, being a threat in behind, working hard and clinical finishing.

"There are still 11 games and I want to keep improving from now until the end of the season.

"When I came back the first thing they told me was 'this is a team and everything we do here is team shape, team belief, everything about the team'.

"I think I've been getting better as the weeks have gone on in training and showed I'm not far away from being a part of something big in this team."

Wolves have Ruben Neves available again after his two-match suspension and Nuno must decide whether to drop Romain Saiss or Alfred N'Diaye.

Bright Enobakhare and Phil Ofosu-Ayeh are their only injury absentees.

Nuno may choose to hand Afobe his first start after the striker's goal on Wednesday, with Leo Bonatini having gone more than three months without scoring.

Predicted teams

Villa (4-3-3): Johnstone; Elmohamady, Chester, Terry, Taylor; Grealish, Jedinak, Hourihane; Snodgrass, Grabban, Adomah. Subs: Tuanzebe, Bjarnason, Lansbury, Onomah, Hogan, Davis, Bunn.

Wolves (3-4-3): John Ruddy; Batth, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Neves, N'Diaye, Douglas; Cavaleiro, Bonatini, Jota. Subs: Norris, Bennett, Hause, Saiss, Gibbs-White, Costa, Afobe.

Key players

Villa: Mile Jedinak – Jedinak has a hugely important role to play for Villa, sat deep in midfield in front of the defence.

Wolves: Ruben Neves – The midfield battle may decide the fate of this contest and Neves, back from suspension, will look to dominate possession and control the tempo.

Past five meetings

October 14, 2017 (Ch): Wolves 2 (Jota 55, Bonatini 71) Villa 0

January 14, 2017 (Ch): Wolves 1 (Mason 15) Villa 0

October 15, 2016 (Ch): Villa 1 (Kodjia pen 15) Wolves 1 (Costa pen 34)

January 21, 2012 (PL): Wolves 2 (Kightly 21, Edwards 31) Villa 3 (Bent pen 11, Keane 51, 84)

August 27, 2011 (PL): Villa 0 Wolves 0