Preview: Wolves v City

Our trip to Molineux tomorrow sees us looking to maintain our 100% record over the Christmas period following the home victories over Sunderland and Stoke City. Three points would keep us right in the mix for 4th place, and would be especially welcome with many of the sides around us having either dropped points or being due to face eachother.

Targetmen Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor will be missing with calf and ankle injuries, respectively. Craig Bellamy could replace the out-of-form Robinho, with Shaun Wright-Phillips again likely to miss out. Defenders Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge and Nedum Onuoha will all be absent until the end of January. Benjani and Michael Johnson also won't be available.

Wolves have winger-turned-defender Stephen Ward suspended for his two yellow cards at Anfield yesterday. Michael Kightly is still suffering ankle problems, goalkeeper Matt Murray remains the walking wounded, and Dave Edwards and striker Andy Keogh aren't expected to play again until March.

It's hard to know which team McCarthy will pick. Unfairly the target of some criticism for changing his entire outfield against United a fortnight ago changes tomorrow will surely be on the cards considering the busy schedule. Former Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann looks to now be their number one, but Elokobi for Ward might not be the only other switch at the back, with Jody Craddock expected to be rested. Richard Stearman or Ronald Zubar may come in, or Greg Halford could move back.

In midfield, captain Karl Henry is likely to keep his place, but Matt Jarvis could have to make do with a place on the bench. David Jones or Andrew Surman are possibles to step in, but i expect subbed Anfield trio Doyle, Milijas and Ebank-Blake might have been replaced to keep them fresh for the game, though Chris Iwelumo's presence in attack might be a better bet to unsettle our back four.

McCarthy's side deserve credit for a recent run which has resulted in them having a fighting chance of survival. Only weeks ago they seemed bankers for the drop, and whilst their supporters won't be getting carried away just yet the wins over Bolton, Burnley, and most impressively Spurs mean the mood around Molineux can rightly be more one of quiet optimism than fear of inevitable despair.

Ireland forward Kevin Doyle is obviously key to their hopes for the season, and with five goals already he's proving that the £6.5m shelled out to bring him to the club from Reading wasn't too excessive. He caused us real trouble in the home fixture between the two sides, and although we should have been four or five up by half-time that day we had to weather a real storm later on, and Doyle's movement asked real questions of a defence which at that point appeared to be a bit better than rubbish.

We've been a funny old side away from home this season; generally awful but still somehow hard to beat, we can only hope the new manager brings defensive steel and organisation, but it won't happen overnight. Koure, Kompany and Zabaleta impressed on Boxing Day, and if they can remain as tight a unit, helped by a midfield which was playing to its strengths then we should be able to dictate the tempo of the game and take all three points.

Saying that, we know sides raise their game for better opposition, indeed we do ourselves. If they can keep early possession and unsettle us we're as likely to crack as anyone, and they'll know that we can at times be bullied physically and will be under strict instructions to make life as difficult as possible for us in that respect, and no problems with that.

I think Wolves will be okay this season, but hopefully the momentum of our recent changes will play in our favour and fatigue from their trip to Liverpool might also be a key factor. A game like this is made for the likes of Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez, and providing we make no silly errors defensively we should have enough to see them off providing we can keep the balance that eventually came on Saturday.

Possible teams:
Wolves: Hahnemann, Stearman, Elokobi, Berra, Mancienne, Henry, Halford, Milijas, Ebanks-Blake, Doyle, Surman

City: Given, Zabaleta, Sylvinho, Toure, Kompany, de Jong, Petrov, Ireland, Tevez, Bellamy, Barry

Prediction: Wolves 1 City 2