Rivals fear Wolves: Gray

In-form Michael Gray believes Wolves have put the "fear factor" into their promotion rivals as the chase for Premiership football reaches crunch point.

Mick McCarthy's side head for the first in a series of key clashes when they tackle second placed Bristol City at a packed out Ashton Gate tomorrow.

The Robins are currently nine points clear of seventh placed Wolves – but the Molineux side can cut that with victory tomorrow while holding two games in hand.

At 33, Gray has seen it all before and is relishing his new lease of life in the attacking midfield role which has been so influential in helping Wolves at last bare their teeth in the promotion dogfight.

And he reckons their rivals will be nervous about facing a Wolves side who were last seen bursting into the top six with their breathtaking victory at Charlton a fortnight ago.

"I would think that the way that we have been playing it's hard to name a side among the chasing pack which is in better form." said Gray.

"Everybody will be talking about it and that puts a little bit of fear into the opposition.

"But we also know that wherever we go we are a scalp for anybody and we've got to have a bit of steel about us to put that to the back of our mind.

"We are going to Bristol with a big following as always but they know if they can turn over Wolverhampton Wanderers it's a big scalp for them.

"These are the big games you want to be playing in. Everything here is ready to make the next step but now we've got a tough task ahead of us to fulfil that."

Wolves clearly sense a real opportunity to make it four wins out of seven and deliver a telling blow against one of the promotion rivals but their selection plans have been thrown a late scare.

Midfielder Karl Henry has reported a sore knee with a decision being left until tomorrow on whether he plays.

The match brings Wolves out of a two week storage but boss Mick McCarthy does not believe the inactivity has robbed his team of momentum.

"They have trained well, they have looked sharp and if anything came back on Monday with renewed energy," said McCarthy.

"You sense the team is really up for it."