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Wolves striker Leon Clarke will bounce back, insists Bakary Sako

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Wolves striker Leon Clarke was today backed to recover from his horror miss in a goodwill message from Bakary Sako.

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Sako has departed for the African Cup of Nations with an upbeat bulletin for Clarke, who missed the chance of an FA Cup third-round winner when he fired wide from eight yards at Fulham in Saturday's 0-0 draw.

It meant Kenny Jackett's side face a replay at Molineux a week today for the chance to make the fourth round for the first time since 2011.

But Sako believes Clarke can put his missed chance behind him.

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"I said to him 'keep your head up and keep your confidence up'," said the Mali winger.

"Maybe he was surprised the ball hit the post but it's something which happens to even the best players."

And Sako believes fellow striker Nouha Dicko's omission from the Mali squad is a boost to Wolves' promotion hopes.

Although he only came off the bench at the weekend as a 63rd-minute replacement for Clarke, Dicko has once again emerged as a pivotal figure for Wolves.

Jackett's side have been unbeaten in the four games since the 22-year-old returned from a long-term hamstring injury, scoring twice to take his tally to six goals this season.

"It's a good thing for the club to keep Nouha," said Sako, who is close friends with Dicko.

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"He's going to stay and play and that's a good thing for him. He was injured for a long time and that's why he didn't make the squad."

Sako also urged his team-mates to leave the team in a challenging position when he returns, possibly in a month's time, depending on Mali's progress.

"I hope they're going to win a few games before I get back," said Sako.