FA cup preview: Wolves' Jamie O'Hara may be in line for first team return

The £5m midfielder has come off the bench in the last two games, and a trip to Oldham in the FA Cup first round would appear to offer an ideal platform on the path to redemption for the former Tottenham man, who has showed a welcome touch of humility in his bid to rehabilitate himself into the squad.

With each appearance, O'Hara is getting fitter and sharper, and, away from the more intense spotlight of Molineux, the proposition of a footballing side such as Lee Johnson's pleasing-on-the-eye Latics offers the 27-year-old the opportunity to ease himself back in without the pressure of league points at stake.

And at a time when head coach Kenny Jackett remains unconvinced about the combinations in central midfield and he is without the injured Kevin McDonald, he believes O'Hara offers a wealth of options and possible solutions to his dilemma in the middle of the park.

"There are many scenarios where his ability will enhance the team, even if it's a case of bringing a different type to the mix," said Jackett.

"I thought long and hard about the whole thing – options in midfield, the fact he's an experienced player, he's a left-footer and can play in different systems.

"They're the things that have crossed my mind over the last few weeks.

"There was also the thought of what was going to happen with Jamie as well because he'd had four months and there was no interest in him, whereas other players have gone since the summer.

"For Jamie that hasn't happened."

O'Hara appeared for the first time this season in last Saturday's 2-0 win against Stevenage before following that up with just over half an hour in the 2-2 draw at Carlisle on Tuesday night.

And the natural balance he can provide is something Jackett immediately warmed to.

"I thought on Saturday coming in he's a different type of player on that side (to Bakary Sako)," said the boss.

"But the fact he's left-footed does help me because they do give us balance going forwards.

"We've got Scott Golbourne, Bakary Sako, O'Hara and Liam McAlinden, who's out on loan, who are left-footers and they do give the team some balance.

"You need combinations of those so it does help, whether we play a third central midfield player or as part of a narrow 4-4-2 against some of these sides that play a diamond he's be ideal, particularly with the attacking left-back we have in Scott Golbourne.

"He certainly has the quality in his passing and the ball moving through him and then I think he has the ability to pass it forward and create chances with his passing.

"You get good passers in the game but having someone in central midfield who can put people in and create goals is something."

Jackett has clearly given lots of time and thought to the re-introduction of O'Hara.

So, how and when did he decide that the time was right to bring him back?

"To a degree, I did discuss it with other people but I felt like it was the right thing to do to open the door and now we'll see how he responds," he said.

"When we were going up to Bradford and it looked like Jack Price might not be available, I did feel it was right to take him and to make him sub or not, and in the end I did.

"But for a couple of weeks beforehand I started thinking about it because from watching the Under-21s games, I was tempted by his quality as a player and by the flexibility he offers to play different systems and combinations.

"After that, it was an overall view that enough time has passed and the fact was he was still a Wolves player."

For those who think performances in reserve games have no influence on first-team chances, Jackett's assessment was based largely on O'Hara's appearances and attitude in the Under-21s, where he was generally the stand-out player each time he played.

"He wasn't really in my group and I haven't met up with him much or didn't really have the conversation, so my opportunity to assess him was limited to seeing him in the Under-21s, for which he showed a very good attitude and produced a lot of quality and played well," said Jackett.

Wolves' double relegation means they are in the first round for the first time since 1989, when they went out to Grimsby 1-0.

Oldham famously reached the fifth round last season, where they were only beaten by Everton 3-1 in a replay after the Latics had accounted for Kidderminster, Doncaster, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool in the earlier rounds.

Against the Reds, Matt Smith's double helped clinch a famous 3-2 win, before they drew 2-2 with the Toffees at Boundary Park.

"It's going to be tough because Oldham are a tremendous cup side and we know it will be a big task," said Jackett.

"But that's our next challenge and it would be terrific to have a cup run."

Tomorrow, they will be without Burnley left-back Joseph Mills, who is injured and unavailable under the terms of his loan.

Mills's absence is likely to see central midfielder David Mellor drop to full-back.