Wolves striker Chris Iwelumo will have a scan to determine the extent of the damage to his right knee after Lee Carsley’s ugly tackle at Birmingham.

The Scotland international was the victim of a studs-up challenge in the 2-0 defeat against ten-man Blues, that earned the home captain an instant red card.

After lengthy treatment he was stretchered off and ended the night on crutches with his knee in a brace.

Carsley’s 37th-minute dismissal altered the course of the game, but not to the advantage of Championship leaders Wolves, as goals either side of half-time by Cameron Jerome and Garry O’Connor took the hosts to within two points of their neighbours.

To compound Wolves’ misery, Iwelumo’s fellow striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake missed the game with a hamstring injury.

But boss Mick McCarthy is hoping the Championship’s 24-goal top scorer will be fit for Good Friday’s visit of Southampton.

Iwelumo, who has 16 goals this season, is hopeful of playing a part in Wolves’ battle with Blues, Reading and Sheffield United for the two automatic promotion places.

He said: “I’m just hoping there will be minimum damage and I’ll still have a big part to play this season. I’m not sure what I’ve done yet – I’m going to get it assessed and then we’ll know more.

“I’ve looked at the incident. I turned my back to the challenge and bent my leg, which Steve Kemp (Wolves head of medical) was quite happy about.”

Iwelumo refused to criticise Carsley for the challenge.

The striker said: “Lee and myself have always had a bit of banter together on the pitch, so I don’t think there was any malice in it.

“He went for the ball, I could see him coming, but I got there before him. It’s part and parcel of the game. There are no hard feelings.

“I knew it was coming but it was just one of those things. Lee came in and apologised afterwards. It’s not part of his game.”