Solbakken has January transfer targets in mind
Wolves boss Stale Solbakken today revealed he has compiled his shortlist of transfer targets for next month – as his midfield injury crisis forced him to re-assess his plans.
Dave Edwards was ruled out for two months yesterday with a torn hamstring, Razak Boukari has had a setback with his unusual hamstring injury and Slawomir Peszko is expected back in January.
Jamie O'Hara returned to full training yesterday for the first time since August but isn't expected to return to the first team until the new year, while Solbakken is waiting to see if Tongo Doumbia is over his fatigue after he returned to training yesterday.
Solbakken is believed to be looking at strikers and cover at left-back but he admitted that may now change if he is left short in midfield.
"We have shortlists of players now and we're working on them," he said.
"The problem is governed a bit by the injuries – that makes it more difficult.
"We're normally well equipped with midfielders, but with all the injuries in one area, that forces us to change or think differently about other players."
Asked if he had more than one plan for the January transfer window, Solbakken said: "Yes – we can't really make just one plan – over the next two or three weeks, we'll see what we can expect or not from the injured players. We might have one priority in one area, and that may have to change."
Some players may be asked to play out of position, after in-form striker Bjorn Sigurdarson was deployed on the right side of midfield in Saturday's 4-1 win at Bristol City.
Solbakken has also placed homegrown youngsters David Davis and Anthony Forde on alert for more action.
As reported in later editions of last night's Express & Star, Boukari is still experiencing discomfort in a small muscle between two bigger ones in his hamstring.
