Wolves boss Mick McCarthy believes Chris Iwelumo and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake are ready to reap the benefits of rest and competition.

McCarthy had dropped his first-choice front pairing for the postponed FA Cup third round tie against Birmingham last Saturday.

The Molineux chief had instead handed Andy Keogh and Sam Vokes rare starts at St Andrews, before his plans turned to dust when the tie was frozen off.

But Iwelumo and Ebanks-Blake are set to play when Wolves resume Championship action with the visit of Preston on Saturday.

Wolves haven’t played since the 2-2 draw at Blackpool on December 29 and McCarthy reckons the extra rest has recharged the batteries of his main strikeforce, who have scored 30 goals between them this season.

The manager said: “I think they’ll benefit from the break. I don’t think you can play 46 games at 100 per cent all the time – that’s nigh on impossible.

“It also doesn’t do anyone any harm, because if the two replacement strikers who go in score, it’s great – a bit of insecurity doesn’t hurt anyone. It makes you work harder.”

Carl Ikeme and Darren Potter were also going to be handed outings against Blues and McCarthy believes his fringe players would have deserved their chance.

He said: “The team was Ikeme, Foley, Stearman, Collins, Hill, Jarvis, Henry, Potter, Ward, Vokes and Keogh.

“Vokes and Keogh deserve the chance as well – they’re both very good players.”

The visit of Alan Irvine’s Preston this weekend presents Wolves with another stiff test against fellow high-flyers.

Wolves have saved some of their best football for the division’s top teams, having already beaten Preston as well as Cardiff, Burnley and Sheffield United when all four were in the top four.

McCarthy reckons his side relish the challenge of facing superior opposition.

He said: “These are bigger games and it helps with the atmosphere – and the fact that we’re not just expected to go out and beat them. We’ve got a good side coming to play us on
Saturday and it makes for a better atmosphere.

“There’s a better feeling towards the game. Perhaps some supporters coming feel the opposition are just going to turn up and get beat, but they won’t with these lot because Preston are a good side.”

McCarthy watched Preston’s 2-0 FA Cup defeat by Liverpool last weekend but insists the outcome won’t have any bearing on Saturday’s game.

He said: “I thought Liverpool were outstanding – I’m glad it’s Preston we’re playing and not Liverpool.

“Liverpool were considerably stronger – it was 2-0 and it could have been more. But that result won’t have any bearing on when they come to play us, Liverpool are the top team in the country and flying.

“They had Fernando Torres on the bench, for goodness sake.”