Wolves v Villa preview: Julen Lopetegui not taking safety for granted

But speaking ahead of the game, Julen Lopetegui was certainly not in the mood to take anything for granted.

The head coach has consistently ordered Wolves to stay focused for every game, regardless of any good results they have had, until they are mathematically safe.

They have not yet achieved that status, but with four games to go and a seven-point advantage over the bottom three, the odds are in their favour.

Lopetegui, however, refused to budge from his philosophy when asked if the end was in sight.

He said: “You are pregnant or you are not pregnant. This is my answer. Until we are pregnant, we are not pregnant.

“It’s true in football. Sometimes you want to spend money you don’t have yet. Be careful.

“This is football and we have to be ready. The last step in sport is always the most difficult.

“I know that and my players do.”

Questioned about closing in on safety, Lopetegui added: “I don’t understand this question, sorry. We are in the middle of the battle like a lot of teams.

“That’s why we have to put 100 per cent of our energy into the next match.

“This is football. We have to be ready until the end, and on Saturday we have a challenge and I’m sure the fans will understand the importance of our match because we are going to need their help.

“We are going to need the environment in the match and this energy in the bad moments because the opponents are going to demand a lot.”

A snappy Lopetegui only has one thing on his mind, and that is Villa’s visit to Molineux tomorrow.

His squad should not need much motivation for a West Midlands derby, but in the wake of their 6-0 defeat to Brighton, it offers the perfect opportunity to bounce back.

“If you win or lose, you have to be focused on the next task you have,” Lopetegui added.

“We are involved in a very hard race to get out of relegation. It’s a big aim for all of us and we have to put our focus on Saturday’s match against the second best team in the second half of the season, in Aston Villa. We were not happy of course (after Brighton), but not about the defeat or the score. It sometimes happen and we’ve analysed it with the players, and we have to be ready for the next challenge.

“We have to be full of energy and full of confidence because we are fighting for a very big and very hard aim, with lots of teams involved.

“We will be involved until the end, so we have to be ready for the next match.

“It’s a match against a very good team. They have improved a lot from the first half of the season. They have good players, a very experienced coach and a very clear idea.

“They have the quality to damage you in each moment, because they have very big players.

“We have to have confidence in our players and our idea, to beat them. To do that, we have to work very hard and be close to perfection against this kind of team.”

The head coach has also issued a rallying cry to the Wolves fans to push the squad through the final weeks of the season and secure safety.

Returning to Molineux – where Wolves have won six of their last eight home league games – the head coach is counting on the home fans creating a big atmosphere.

“It’s key for us,” Lopetegui said.

“As you get closer to the final matches, there’s more importance on the role of the fans.

“We are sure they are going to understand the key moment we have in the season and they are going to help us a lot.

“We need this environment and energy. I am sure they are going to support us a lot.”

Nelson Semedo is touch-and-go for tomorrow’s game after suffering a knee injury against Brighton.

The right-back was forced off before half-time and then missed the first few days of training this week, before returning in the latter stages of the week.

If he is absent, it could pave the way for Jonny Castro Otto to make his return to the team, having not played since he was sent off against Leeds on March 18.

Youngster Dexter Lembikisa, who impressed in his limited opportunities when Lopetegui first came in, could also get a chance after training with the first team.