Premier League preview: Wolves v Birmingham

Wolverhampton will look to grab valuable points in their relegation fight when they host West Midlands rivals Birmingham on Sunday.

With just 12 points from 16 games, Mick McCarthy’s side are destined for a long relegation battle for the remainder of the season and will be eager to bounce back after a 3-0 defeat at Blackburn last Saturday.

Injuries have ravaged Wolves’ season so far, with Michael Mancienne, Karl Henry, Joey Craddock and Adlene Guedioura all noticeable absentees from their line-up.

Striker Steven Fletcher could return for the clash against Alex McLeish’s side after overcoming illness.

Wolves goal sneak Kevin Doyle believes that upcoming fixtures against local rivals Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion provide the ideal opportunity to get their season back on track.

“If we can take something from these next two derbies, we can climb the table,” Doyle said.

“They’ll be tough games but why can’t we win them? We’re at home on Sunday and will start there.”

“We know how big derbies are for the fans. They don’t want to be going to work being reminded of a bad result by the local rivals.”

“But we don’t want a bad result either. It’s a massive game for us but it’s probably even bigger for the fans.”

Meanwhile, Birmingham striker Cameron Jerome has been quick to emphasise that the Premier League was his side’s priority, despite their qualification for the semi-finals of the Carling Cup last week.

“The league is our bread and butter and the cup is a bonus. It’s nice to get to the semi-finals and obviously we want to get to the final and Wembley. We’ve got a chance of winning it and anything is possible in football,” Jerome said.

“But we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground, concentrate on the league and not slip into the relegation zone. A couple of defeats, and a couple of wins for other teams, and you can be right back down there.”

“We’ve drawn with Man City and Tottenham and beaten Chelsea in recent weeks, teams that are all going for the title. There is confidence but these are bonus points and the gaffer has said we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground.”