Express & Star

Wolves facing Nottingham Forest in friendly before Premier League restart

Wolves are due to play their first game since March as they plan to host Nottingham Forest in a behind-closed-doors friendly next week.

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Nuno Espirito Santo's charges are set to face the Championship promotion-chasers at Molineux as they step up their preparations for the Premier League's restart.

It will be Wolves' first match since drawing 1-1 at Olympiacos on March 12 – and their first game at Molineux since a 0-0 draw with Brighton on March 7.

It is understood, though, that a specific day is not yet in stone and when it does take place, the club will not be mentioning it on their official channels and there will not be any media present.

The Express & Star reported earlier this week that Wolves were looking into the possibility of a friendly before the resumption of the league campaign at West Ham, and Forest will be taken on in what should be a competitive affair.

Sabri Lamouchi's charges are currently fifth in the second-tier table.

Only essential staff are set to be allowed in for the friendly – the players, coaching team and other important club personnel – and Wolves will have to carry out a thorough risk-assessment before the match.

As is the case with training at Compton, players are set to travel to the ground alone.

There will also be strict rules in place for parking and access into the ground, to ensure social distancing is adhered to.

Wolves have been back in contact training for more than a week now – after several weeks of training from home and limited sessions at Compton.

They have been taking part in small-sided games, but this friendly against Forest has been set up to gain a proper idea of what the league will be like when it gets back under way in a couple of weeks and, ultimately, to get the players more match-ready.

Wolves have nine games left in the Premier League and are sixth in the table.

The first three of those will see them take on relegation-threatened teams as they restart against West Ham at the London Stadium, host Bournemouth and travel to Villa.

Exact dates and kick-off times for those matches are yet to be confirmed but are expected to be imminently.

All 92 remaining top-flight games, with fans not being able to attend, are set to be broadcast live on TV – with 33 of those set to be free-to-air.