Wolverhampton Wanderers host rivals Aston Villa at the Molineux Stadium this afternoon as they attempt to move further clear of the relegation zone.

Julen Lopetegui's side are seven points clear of the bottom three in the Premier League as it stands but are coming into this match off the back of a thumping 6-0 defeat to Brighton last time out.

Wolves had won three of their last four games in the top-flight prior to facing the Seagulls but were demolished at the AMEX and the head coach will surely be looking for a strong reaction from his team.

He may also decide to make a number of alterations to the starting XI after those who played against Brighton let themselves and the club down with their performances on the pitch and one player who could be ditched is Diego Costa.

Who could start ahead of Diego Costa for Wolves?

Lopetegui could ditch the 6 foot 1 Spanish centre-forward by dropping him to the bench in favour of South Korea international Hwang Hee-chan.

Costa was taken off at half-time in the defeat to Roberto De Zerbi's side after enduring a rough 45 minutes. As per Sofascore, the experienced campaigner lost all four of his individual duels and failed to create any chances, complete any dribbles, or register a shot on goal.

He was a liability to the team in and out of possession and Hwang impressed after coming on to replace the former Chelsea marksman.

As per Sofascore, the ex-Leipzig dynamo completed one dribble, got off three shots, and won all four of his duels on the pitch, which shows that he had a bigger impact on the game in his 45 minutes of action.

The 27-year-old has scored twice in his last six Premier League outings, compared to the Spaniard's one strike in 20 appearances, and recent form indicates that the dynamo has the potential to offer more than the 34-year-old in and out of possession.

Costa has lost 27 of his 36 duels over the last three matches and Hwang has won 17 of his 30 battles in that time, which suggests that the South Korean gem would provide more physicality against opposition defenders whilst also offering more of an attacking threat with their aforementioned form in front of the goal.

Therefore, Lopetegui must unleash the £30k-per-week gem, who was previously hailed for his "aggressive" play by ex-teammate Conor Coady, from the start to lead the line against the Villans this afternoon.