Friday 5 April 2019 15:17, UK
Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo wants a "special" FA Cup tie against Watford, but says his players must focus solely on the match.
Wolves take on Watford at Wembley in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday, looking to book their place in the final of the competition for the first time in 59 years.
The club previously made the semi-final stage in 1988, but Nuno insists his squad must remove thoughts of playing in the final from their minds and concentrate on the job at hand.
"Focus on the game, don't think about anything else," he said. "You have to know how to play it. Don't think about what it could mean, or what could happen after.
"Make the game special. This is the best way to approach the competition. Just play the game, action after action. Everybody knows what it could mean, but we have to play it just like another game and focus on the task.
"We're looking forward to it. When you walk around the streets of Wolverhampton you feel that excitement and the emotion of our fans. We know there's going to be 34,000 of them there and we're really thankful for that. We're going to compete together."
Only one position and one point separates Wolves and Watford in the Premier League table. Wolves occupy seventh place, with Watford in eighth, and Nuno insists he is expecting a difficult match against a side who won 2-0 at Molineux back in October.
"It's going to be very close," he said. "Watford is a very good team with very good players and a very good manager. They're very organised and we expect a very tough game. They've been performing well."
Ahead of Sunday's Wembley showdown, Wolves will be boosted by the permanent signing of striker Raul Jimenez from Benfica. The Mexican has scored 15 goals this season and will sign a four-year deal, much to the delight of his manager.
"We're very pleased. His behaviour, his character and the performances he's had show what he can give to the team," Nuno said.
"The appropriate moment to do this was before the end of the season, which is better because this way Raul will be more relaxed and more confident in the way that he has to work and improve in order to help the team."
