Kenny Jackett backs Benik Afobe to fire for Wolves - and won't welcome any bids

The £15m-rated forward was dropped for Saturday's 2-1 win at Rotherham.

Chief executive Jez Moxey said last week that Wolves would have to think about the situation 'very carefully' should any bids be made in January.

But Jackett is clear that he wants to keep his best players to help fire Wolves up the league.

The message back in August was that no bids would be encouraged for Afobe. Will that be the same again in January? "I'm sure it will be," Jackett said.

"We're looking to build our team and improve, as we've said many times. We want to push up this league. Keeping your best players is a big part of that.

"It'll be interesting (in January), it was a tough period in pre-season where there was a lot of speculation about him and conversations. And then Nouha (Dicko) went down injured. So it made it a tough period."

Jackett has been pleased with Afobe's attitude in training, as he was with the 22-year-old's 15-minute cameo off the bench at New York Stadium.

And he backed the striker, who has one goal in his last eight, to hit top form before long.

"His time will come again, there's no doubt about that," Jackett added.

"For Benik it's up to him to keep his attitude right.

"He'll be part of the team, he'll be wanting the club and team to do very well and will be ready when called upon again, as he was on Saturday.

"He's a calm man, he's articulate and for him he understands as much anyone it's about the team.

"But if there is speculation again it'll mean things are going right and he's scoring and playing well.

"We need to get him to that stage. He's got one goal in his last eight and has the ability to score a lot of goals in the Championship.

"In terms of how we handle it, I can only really wait and see what the circumstances are at the time.

"I want to be getting up the league and you only do that by having good players and a good team. How the situation goes, we'll see. December is almost the calm before the storm.

"We'll handle it and deal with it if and when it happens again."

Adam Le Fondre was Afobe's replacement in the side against Rotherham.

The on-loan Cardiff forward has scored three goals in a truncated season so far, with many appearances off the bench and starts here and there.

Jackett admitted it was a difficult decision to drop Afobe, but is keen to find a way to get Le Fondre finding the net consistently too.

"I was pleased with Adam, with his work rate, with his energy," the Wolves boss added.

"He's a hard-working player, committed, and if we get our game right and our balls right he's very good down the sides and hard to mark.

"If the ball goes back to front he'll put challenges in and won't shirk out, but that's not necessarily his game.

"Getting enough physical presence (alongside him) is important, but I was pleased with his attitude and he hasn't let us down whenever he's played.

"It's about finding a compliment around him that can handle the physical side and then bring him into play."