Kenny Jackett: Kevin McDonald future is top priority

McDonald was left out of Saturday's 1-0 win over Burton Albion with the Wolves chief feeling the 26-year-old wasn't in the right frame of mind to play.

Wolves have rejected two bids from Fulham for the Scot, who has a year left on his current contract.

And the saga is in danger of derailing Jackett's plans for the new season, which is now less than three weeks away.

Jackett reiterated his desire to keep McDonald at the club and said: "It's one that we do want resolved and it's one that we do need to come to a conclusion because the most important thing is Wolves starting the season well and Kevin McDonald is a big player for us.

"I want him here and I want him part of it.

"They're positive negotiations that are ongoing. And for him it's about him being happy here, settling himself down, seeing where his future is clear and straightforward.

"We both need to get to that point as the start of the season is coming very quickly."

McDonald rejected Wolves' opening offer of a new contract, feeling it was a 'basic' increase that didn't show the club were fighting to keep him.

However, Wolves believed the contract on the table to be more than reasonable and the two camps have since been at stalemate.

Of leaving him out for the Burton game, Jackett said: "He wasn't selected for the game by myself, he's unsettled with his ongoing contractual situation so I decided not to play him and look at other combinations."

Did McDonald himself refuse to play? "No, I decided," Jackett said. "He would have played if I'd have told him to but I felt he was unsettled and then took the decision to let him think about the situation."

Fulham, who recently snapped up former Wolves man Jamie O'Hara, had two bids of around £1m for McDonald rejected.