Michael Kightly reveals date for his Wolves return
Friday 23rd July 2010, 11:29AM BST.
Michael Kightly today handed Wolves a massive boost after revealing he will return to full training within two weeks and hopes to be fit for the start of the season.
The 24-year-old winger, who has been plagued by injury since March, 2009, is well down the road to full recovery from chronic inflammation of his patella tendons following ankle and hip injuries that required surgery.
And the much-missed former England Under-21 international is ready to step up his workload to give himself the chance to put himself in boss Mick McCarthy’s plans for the big kick-off on August 14 against Stoke.
“I expect to be ready in a couple of weeks,” said Kightly, who was at St Paul’s Primary School in Tipton yesterday at present football medals to the youngsters.
“I feel good. There are no symptoms whatsoever now so I’m really pleased. Come the start of the season I will be ready.”
Kightly, who made just three starts before injuring his foot last November against Birmingham, can at last see his reward after painstaking months in rehabilitation which brought trips to Spain and the United States in a bid to find a cure to the pain in his knees.
“Being injured is a horrible thing,” he said. “I’ve struggled to deal with it sometimes, it can be very frustrating, but now I can see light at the end of the tunnel.
“I’ve been training every day throughout the summer – I’ve hardly had any time off. The training I’ve been doing has, of course, been very different to the training done by the rest of the boys because I’ve had to catch up with their fitness. It’s been more intense.”
Kightly has seen Wolves’ new signings and believes they will intensify the already strong competition.
“The gaffer has made some good signings and that’s got to be good news for the squad,” he said. “It keeps you on your toes. If there’s no competition for places you can become stale.”
And Kightly backed Wolves to build on last season’s Premier League survival.
“To stay up in your second season is always hard but I’m confident with the players we can,” he said.
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Great news as this bloke is a class act and it will be like another new signing. Our attacking options are very atteactive, Kites, Jarvis, Hunt, Ebanks Blake, Doyle, Jones, Guediora.
2nd season is hard but we will finish above Albion, Blackpool, Westham, Newcastle, Bolton Wigan and Blackburn and finish 13th.
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I have no doubt that Kightly will be like another new signing this season, and hopefully will add to the attacking options, as the right side, was our downfall last season, no offence to Foley. Kightly and jarvis on the wings could cause no end of problems for defenders, and help get our goal tally up. With Hunt and Bia also available and Fletcher being able to play on the wing, our squad is looking allot stronger than last seasons.
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Fingers crossed he stays fit and can have a crack at the Premiership this year. I am not as confident as others that he will set the world alight though and Steven Hunt when fully fit may well keep him out the team.
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If wonder if we will play Kites and Jarvis together as they do leave gaps behind. If we did I could see us playing two holding midfielder to clear up the defensive side and then 1 up front. I am fascinated to see what formation Mick ends up with. Against the top 6 I imagine it will be the defensive 4-5-1 but will we play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 or a more attack minded 4-5-1 against the midtable and sides. What do Wolves fans think?
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If Kites stays fit, he will be a great player for us this season.
Jarvis was flying at the end of last season but Kites was always twice the player he was.
If he can find his form and carry on from where he left off in the championship (19 assists!), I’m confident the strikers can score double figures each.
I can’t wait for the season to start. I’d still prefer a 4-3-3 with the players we have as I think we look to exposed in the middle of the park and sometimes defense playing 4-4-2.
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It would be great to see Kightly fit again. Not just from a team viewpoint but for the man himself. I can’t begin to imagine his frustration over the last two years. Even when he was able to play he wasn’t at 100%. He seems like an honest guy and it must have hurt him mentally when he was having to play below his best. Lets hope that he can finally put all of this period behind him and go on to realise the potential all Wolves fans know he has.
As for attacking options next year, well I’m intrigued! The personnel we have up front will hopefully produce a pleasant dilemma when it comes to selection and formation. At least everyone will know they need to give their very best because someone is behind them just waiting for a chance.
For me though I think Hunt once fit will hold a position unless he gets injured. Not sure exactly where MM will play him yet but he’s a class act with real tenacity. His attitude and workrate are exceptional. I think Kightly will struggle to get a chance but it would be nice to know he’s there fit and ready when required.
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i think if we play 2 attacking wingers such as kightly and jarvis rather than someone like edwards or gudiera, then we will need 2 defensive midfielders instead of jones or milijas to get the balance right so we do not get exposed and leave gaps.
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4) I do not totally agree with this statement. Jarvis tracks back and covers the full back. Once Kites and Hunt are fit, this will greatly improve our goals tally from both chances created and the goals that they contribute. The dilemma is how do you include Jarvis also. Matt could potentially find himself in the England squad if he has a good season.
I would like to see a couple more signings but reckon that Wolves have a strong squad this season with excellent young players like Batth, Malone, Gorman waiting in the wings!
How are some bookies making us third favourites to go down and reckon the Geordies are better than us? Blackpool, Tesco’s, Newcastle, Wigan, West Ham and Bolton are currently worse, in my opinion!
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jarvis and kites for england !! ;)
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1 Laughtingwolf did you forget Fletcher in your attacking options.and with kites back and whats been seen of the youngsters on the verge of breaking into the squad its great to have such excitement before the season has started. bet JTH&HAPPY BAGGIE must be cacking themselves love it.utw
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Excellent news, squad is looking very good.
let’s hope Foley is restored to his best RB position, and the pitch is widened for our two flying wingers.
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Brilliant news for Wolves Kites is a fantastic talent with miles more potential and a very nice chap, best of luck to you mate with the rest of your rehab.
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Lovely Jubbly….This will be the season where it all comes together. Kights is one of the best young ‘unknown’ players in this division. Of course all us Wolves fans know the score from the Championship season. If he can rekindle that kind of magic (and i’ve every confidence that he will)I think we’ll be beating off the offers from top 5 teams. Who knows, maybe he’ll make the Euro squad (He’s gotta be worth ten Aaaron Lennon’s!!).
Great news that Sky Sports makes us one of the favourites for the drop. I had 20-1 off them last season for us to stay up. Place your bets NOW lads!!!
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no 1 dont forget Fulham ( no manager and might be keeper less soon) as well thats another place higher, plus i hate the number 13.
bring on the first game !!!!!!!!!!!!
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Great news about Kites. I won’t count my chickens just yet but looking forward to seeing him back!
As for the formation, we have loads of options which is great!
People will be left out as we have a large squad now but at some point i’d love us to try a 4 – 2 – 3 – 1.
Back 4 obvious, Henry & another holding, an advanced 3 like Jarvis, Fletcher & (wait for it….!) Keogh and then Doyle up top.
When the goals start flooding in… :)
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John De wolf “Kites was always twice the player he was.”
I don’t think so.
Jarvis also now has actual Premiership experience and was frightening the life out of good defenders towards the end of the season. I’m sure will be our main man for getting the ball in the box next season.
UTW
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15) I don’t mind that formation but straight away where would you accomodate Hunt and Kightly? Also after last year Jones will start and deservedly so!
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Must make sure that he really will be 100% this time. The lad needs a break, pardon the pun, for God’s sake.
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(1)
Laughing wolf,
You shouldn’t be cracking-up yet the season hasn’t kicked off. Wolves are still licking their old wounds from the last lot of whipings we gave
them.
(10)
Another one having a bout of the shudders as he recalls the last set of spankings.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
P.S. Roll on, Can’t wait.
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That’s what we’ve been waiting to hear! Having Kites back will definitely make the right wing a more attacking option. A 100 percent fit Kites will be raring to go and make up for lost time imo.
I can just imagine it, if all goes well we’ll have Kites running defenders ragged and then sub him with Hunt later on or vice versa. Now THAT sounds good to me!
This is the most optimistic i’ve felt about the start of a season since we signed David Kelly, Geoff Thomas and the others all that time ago (sorry can’t remember them all).
Bring It On!!!
We Are Wolves.
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Great news that Kightly is going to back, will he shine in the Prem, hopefully yes, but he will have to earn his place in the side which im sure he knows, i would guess he will be on the bench until he is back to full match fitness and then will have out perform the other guys to get a place in the starting line up which will be no walk in the park, lets hope he fares better than Blake who seemed woefully out of his Depth in the step up in class, saying that i do wish Blake all the best for this season, if im correct a certain Mr Drogba did very little in his first Prem season, perhaps he knows the score now( pardon the pun)and knows he has to raise his game, he may just surprise us all this time round if he’s given the chance
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1) Laughingwolf. I’d also now add Sunderland to the teams we should finish above or at least on a par with. Not because of the last match of last season with nothing at stake, but, because Bruce has signed Titus Bramble to play at the centre of his defence. He has to be the poorest central defender doing the rounds in the Premiership.
They’ve also lost the superb Gordon for a few months too and Bent won’t repeat last season’s exploits.
Kightly has a part to play. I think MM will play 4-5-1 turning into 4-4-2/4-3-3 depending upon the opposition and home or away. There’ll be a lot more confidence in the team now and we’ll be more expansive where we can. (eg Stoke at home)
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(1,10)
I can feel the fear-vibes in your posts. Keep bigging wolves up, then they have to face ALBION and we’ll be looking to tan them again, It’ll be like a blast from the past. So all you need are two rolls of “BRONCO”. JtH.
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21. No one cares mate, jog on…
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JtH.
So if you get 6 points off us (BIG if imo), your season will be over then will it? By then you’ll be hugging the bottom of the table and the points will probably make no difference anyway. It’s you that’s setting yourself up for a big fall, we KNOW how to survive in this league and it’s not by playing open football.
Call it what you want but we’ll be better off on goal difference you watch! That’s where Hull made their mistake last season, too many goals conceded to get to safety.
Roll on 14th August.
Up The Wolves.
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