Wolves will resist the temptation to bring in a replacement for injury-stricken Michael Kightly - as Mick McCarthy backed Stephen Elliott to continue on the right wing.Kightly was ruled out for the rest of the campaign yesterday after specialists confirmed he needs an operation on the ankle injury that has prevented him from starting a game since November.
The winger is due to go under the knife today but McCarthy is in no rush to snap up a like-for-like replacement.
Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson has been linked with a move to Molineux, but McCarthy indicated today that Elliott would be given an extended run in the wing role he occupied to good effect against Crystal Palace last Saturday.
He said today: “Michael Kightly has been out since November and we have not had anybody in to replace him in that time.
“We were always hoping that he was going to be back fit, of course, but Stephen Elliott has been excellent and the times he has played there he has done well.
“Bringing someone else in is maybe something we would consider but unless I think he is better that what we have got, there is not point in us doing it.
“If I bring someone in I’m not going to play him in front of Stephen Elliott anyway.”
McCarthy has been boosted by the return of Matt Jarvis ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Colchester.
Tricky test
Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will also play after recovering from the concussion he suffered last week.
That is a double boost for the Molineux men ahead of what McCarthy believes will be a tricky test of their promotion credentials.
He is warning his side not to take the Us lightly despite their lowly league position.
“It was a tough game there last year. I think we were the 11th team who went there and lost.
“They have lost a couple of players this year but they are still a good side and when they came to Molineux to play us they gave us a real test.”
McCarthy is set to retain one up front for tomorrow’s game, a system which suited his side well at Selhurst Park last weekend.
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