Express & Star

Wolves target nine points in a week

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Wolves kick off a 'very important' week aiming to take nine points from nine as they look to kick-start their season.

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After a poor start to the campaign, they travel to Preston knowing victory would be a huge boost after indifferent results in recent weeks.

Since the last international break, Wolves have lost to Bolton, drawn 0-0 at home to leaders Brighton and crashed out of the Capital One Cup with a miserable 3-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.

Kenny Jackett's team now have three matches before the next break, in the space of a week, with a trip to Fulham on Tuesday night and a visit from Huddersfield Town next Saturday.

Jackett admits his players are frustrated with how things have progressed.

But he knows the only way to boost confidence and turn things around is by winning football matches.

Of confidence in the squad, he said: "You want your own individual performance to be right, first and foremost, I think there's been a balanced view of where we've been and where we are.

"Similarly, the next week is a very important one for us.

Benik Afobe of Wolverhampton Wanderers

"We're in a position that we don't want to be, there's nine points up for grabs in a short space of time so the determination is there from the players to focus on these games and try and get a good haul of points before the international break after the Huddersfield game.

"For the players it is quite a tightrope mentally between determination and confidence."

Captain Danny Batth returns to the side having been out since April with a stress fracture of his left foot.

Wolves are without the suspended Conor Coady and the injured David Edwards, leaving a hole in midfield likely to be filled by Kevin McDonald and Jack Price. Scott Golbourne, Kortney Hause and Emiliano Martinez have all shaken off minor knocks and are fit to play.

Wolves lie 18th in the early standings and a defeat at Preston would see them looking over their shoulders towards the relegation zone. Unlike one of his Wolves predecessors Mick McCarthy, Jackett admits to analysing the league table from the start of the season onwards.

Danny Batth is set to make a return this weekend

"I always look at the table." he said. "You look at the table right from the off because you're always looking at what affects your players and your crowd.

"It's not where we want to be. As a club you're always trying to improve from where you were."

Recent signing from Swindon, Nathan Byrne, will be in tomorrow's squad.

And Jackett challenged Byrne and fellow new signings Sheyi Ojo and Jed Wallace to be creative outlets for the team.

"Byrne looks a good player and I'm sure now coming into the wide positions he'll be looking for that chance and opportunity," Jackett said. "It's early days for him, Sheyi Ojo and Jed Wallace, there's three players in the area where we need to be creative, both in terms of creating chances and getting crosses in but also being a goal threat.

"The three of them will be looking to go on and cement a place in the team. Creatively we need to be as strong as we can across that middle."