Wolves comeback man Michael Mancienne was today backed to tame Albion hotshot Peter Odemwingie in Sunday’s derby.

Mancienne returned to the heart of Wolves’ defence for the first time in a league game since September 2009 in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Birmingham as Christophe Berra was dropped.

And boss Mick McCarthy admitted the pacy Mancienne’s mainly positive return offered him food for thought for dealing with Odemwingie’s pace, despite being at fault for Sebastian Larsson’s equaliser.

“Yes of course – Mancienne has all of those attributes and he can handle those type of players,” said the boss.

“’Mance’ played well. I was pleased with his performance.

“Michael admitted that but for a mistake, we’d have probably kept a clean sheet on Sunday.

“We got away with the one that hit the crossbar so who knows, but apart from that, there were no other real chances in the game.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy has stressed the need for a relaxed approach from his players to Sunday’s game – after watching the heartache of one of his Molineux predecessors on Monday, when Dave Jones’ Cardiff fluffed their chances of automatic promotion by losing 3-0 to Middlesbrough to again suffer the agony of the play-offs.

There were suggestions before the 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns in February that Wolves’ players were too fired up as Wolverhampton-born captain Karl Henry reminded his team-mates who hadn’t played in a Black Country derby before of the importance of the game.

McCarthy said: “I think playing with patience and being considered in our approach is vital.

“If ever that need was shown it was at Cardiff on Monday.

“People were saying it was vital that they pushed forwards and got goals to win the game, then suddenly they were 1-0 down which made the incentive to go forwards even greater.

“Then they went 2-0 down – and should have had a penalty – but then the incentive was greater even still then to go forwards and force it, and they ended up being 3-0 down and the game was finished and now they’re in the play-offs.

“That’s the last thing that we want to happen in our games.

“It’s about playing sensibly, playing the opposition and knowing what’s at stake – and nothing else.”