Wolves boss cool on loans

Kightly was ruled out for the rest of the campaign yesterday after specialists confirmed he will need 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 was linked with a move to Molineux yesterday but McCarthy indicated today that Elliott will be given an extended run in the wing role he occupied to good effect at Crystal Palace last week.

"Kites (Michael Kightly) has been out since November and we have not had anybody in to replace him in that time," McCarthy said today.

"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 than what we have got – there is no 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 crucial trip to Colchester and 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 acknowledges will be a tricky test of their promotion credentials.

The Wolves boss is warning his players not to take the Us lightly despite their lowly league position.

"It was a tough game there last year," added McCarthy.

"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."