Wolverhampton V Ipswich at Molineux Stadium - Match Preview




Wolves look to bounce back

Changes are certain to be on the agenda for Wolves as they host an Ipswich side led by former boss Mick McCarthy.

Wanderers fell to an embarrassing 3-0 home defeat against then-bottom club Peterborough on Boxing Day - their heaviest league loss of the season.

Boss Stale Solbakken took the blame for the shock reverse but that does not mean he will necessarily resist changes against an Ipswich side who have lost just one of their last seven.

Wide man Bjorn Sigurdarson was deemed fit enough for a half-time introduction against Posh having struggled with a thigh strain and he could well come in, as could defender Richard Stearman.

Fit-again midfielder Jamie O'Hara played the final 14 minutes - his first action since March after hernia trouble - but he needs more match fitness before being ready to start.

Slawomir Peszko is closing in on full fitness but Razak Boukari, Dave Edwards, Steven Mouyokolo, Wayne Hennessey, Stephen Hunt and George Elokobi remain sidelined.

McCarthy goes back to the Black Country for the first time since being sacked in February, ending a six-year spell with Wanderers, and will be tempted to keep faith with an unchanged Tractor Boys side for a fifth successive match.

The Yorkshireman appears to have settled on a formula and the impressive 2-1 Boxing Day victory away at Charlton will provide little reason to change that, with DJ Campbell and Daryl Murphy, who recovered from a knee injury to start, on the scoresheet.

Michael Chopra, Jason Scotland, Luke Hyam, Nigel Reo-Coker, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Danny Higginbotham, among others, will all be ready to step into McCarthy's starting XI if required.

Town, 20th, have lost just one of their last seven league matches.

Source: PA

Source: PA