Contract talk off limits at Molineux

Wolves boss Kenny Jackett has placed all contract talks on hold until the end of the season.

Bakary Sako, Kevin Doyle, Sam Ricketts, Leon Clarke, Zeli Ismail and Tomasz Kuszczak are the senior players whose deals expire in the summer.

In addition, Under-21s players George Swan, Jim Kellerman, Connor Hunte and Ibrahaim Keita are out of contract at the end of June.

Sako is expected to leave if Wolves don't go up, while the club have a 12-month option on Clarke, who is on loan at Wigan to the end of the season.

Keita isn't playing after turning down a two-year deal, while the club haven't said when the terms of Under-21s imports Albert Torras, Carlo Erdei and Jordi Ortega expire.

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Wolves may enter the loan market for a signing before Thursday's deadline after allowing Michael Jacobs to join Blackpool for the rest of the season.

But all contract talks with existing players have been put on ice for the time being.

"All of our time is focused on trying to get one of those three promotion places," said the Molineux head coach.

"No contract talks will be concluded until the end of the season."

Kuszczak has expressed his desire to stay when his six-month deal is up and Jackett has been impressed with the 32-year-old's performances since he replaced the injured Carl Ikeme eight games ago.

"We're always thinking about contracts in terms of the board and Kevin Thelwell (head of football operations)," said Jackett.

"We're constantly assessing different situations and haven't approached Tomasz or made any decision, only because we're that close to the end of the season. He's done very well and been very solid. Since Carl's injury our record of picking up points has been pretty good."

Ismail is just returning to full fitness after a knee injury which cut short his loan spell at Notts County. The 21-year-old scored four goals in 14 games for the Magpies.

"Zeli should be training next week after being out for months with his knee injury," said the boss. "He's running hard at the moment. No decision has been made on that and there won't be before he's fully playing."

While Ismail's chances of going out on loan hang in the balance, Eusebio Bancessi is set for a spell with a lower division club.

"It would be good for him to go out on loan," said Jackett. "Going on loan to the right club at the right time is good for a young player's development. We can't let them all go because you want to run a competitive Under-21s side."

n Jackett insists speculation linking Under-21s coach Scott Sellars with the vacant Oldham manager's job are news to him.

"I haven't heard anything from Scott and we haven't had an approach from the club," said the boss. "He's done very well with the Under-21s. It's been refreshing and he's brought in a lot of experience from Manchester City."