Express & Star

Wolves make contract decisions on three

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Wolves are set to offer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Stephen Hunt new contracts – but Christophe Berra will leave this summer.

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Ebanks-Blake will only be out for six weeks with his broken leg after cracking the smaller bone – the fibula – and the club will make an offer to their 27-year-old 15-goal top scorer if they stay up.

Manager Dean Saunders also wants talks with born-again Hunt, who is also out of contract, but insisted Berra won't sign a new deal.

Saunders said: "Sylvan can sign for whoever he wants, but we will make him an offer and, hopefully, he chooses us.

"We have started talking, but it all depends on what league we are in – Sylvan won't play in League One.

"It's just going to be a six-week lay-off – they're going to put a plate in his leg in the next couple of days after the swelling goes down."

Hunt, 31, is playing his way towards a new deal.

Saunders said: "I'm going to speak to him about that – I like that type of player.

"He's made a difference – his energy levels rub off on everyone else.

"He's proactive with his movement – when we haven't got the ball, he hunts it down and he gets in goalscoring positions.

"He's playing well and he gives the lads a lot of belief."

But Berra, who hasn't figured in the last nine games, is definitely leaving.

Saunders said: "He's made it clear he's not going to sign a contract, and I had the chance to sign Kaspars Gorkss with one eye on the future, so I had to do what was right for the club.

"But I have not ruled out playing Christophe between now and the end of the season – I told him a few days ago 'make sure you're ready.'

"We have only got to get one injury and he would be involved."

Saunders refused to blame Birmingham defender Paul Robinson for Ebanks-Blake's broken leg.

The Wolves boss said: "He got the ball first but landed on Sylvan."

Wolves go to Bolton tomorrow seeking what would be their fourth successive win for the first time since November 2008.

Meanwhile, Jake Cassidy or Bjorn Sigurdarson will replace Wolves' broken-leg victim Sylvan Ebanks-Blake at Bolton tomorrow.

Saunders has promoted Cannock-born academy graduate Liam McAlinden into his senior squad.

But he revealed it had almost certainly come down to a choice between Cassidy, 20, or 21-year-old Sigurdarson for the trip to the Reebok.

However, Sigurdarson must recover from illness after being sent home on antibiotics yesterday.

Saunders said: "It gives Jake or Bjorn a chance – I will make a decision today.

"I'm going to bring Liam McAlinden up to the first-team squad, so Jake, Nouha Dicko and Bjorn have a chance."