Wolves striker Kevin Doyle is likely to return to the starting line-up for Sunday’s crunch derby against Birmingham.

The £6.5million club record signing was rested for Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at Premier League Chelsea after being drained from playing in the Republic of Ireland’s dramatic two-legged World Cup play-off defeat against France the previous week.

Matt Jarvis replaced the former Reading man up front, as boss Mick McCarthy surprisingly switched to a new 3-5-2 formation at Stamford Bridge.

Doyle is still “heartbroken” at the controversial nature of Ireland’s exit after Thierry Henry’s handball led to William Gallas’s winner.

McCarthy decided the player needed extra time to recover.

The Molineux chief said: “Kevin was never going to play, because he played 120 minutes on Wednesday. I know Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka did, but I didn’t think he would have to run about as much as Doyle.

“Anelka was playing in a team that was passing it around and keeping it and he didn’t have to put in as much effort as Doyle would have had to.”

Five days on from the defeat in Paris, Doyle admits he is struggling to come to terms with the manner of Ireland’s exit.

With the Blues game assuming must-win importance, Doyle is high in McCarthy’s thoughts.

But he said: “It’s hard to get over. Some decisions you accept but when it’s that obvious, that’s what really breaks your heart. I didn’t see it until afterwards. I came into the dressing room depressed, down, wanting to cry and then I saw a replay and my emotions turned to anger.”

Doyle added: “I don’t blame the ref, I blame the linesman. If you look at the angle from the far side he has the perfect view.”