Mick McCarthy Won’t Rush Kightly Back

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    Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is refusing to rush star winger Michael Kightly back into the first team to aid their relegation battle.

    Kightly, whose last match was in November 2009, has been blighted with ankle and knee injuries which have seen his comeback constantly delayed.

    But after the winger played for 45 minutes in the 3-3 reserve team draw against Manchester United without any setbacks, McCarthy is hoping that his injury hell is at an end.

    “He was excellent and he’s been training really well,” the former Sunderland boss said. “He had 45 minutes, feels great today, and I’m really pleased with his progress. He’ll come back when he’s ready. I’m not rushing him.

    “At this stage now, when he’s been injured for so long, I would love to have him involved with the first team.

    “Just having him on the bench and warming up would lift our crowd and lift the rest of us. As soon as he’s ready, he’ll be involved.”

    McCarthy revealed that the sheer number of setbacks Kightly has experienced understandably took their toll on occasion.

    He said: “He’s been grumpy at times, like you wouldn’t believe.

    “He’s had those days because it’s been a long road, but he’s been a model pro.

    “He’s had some difficult days and difficult weeks, when I see the injury list and it says ‘Michael Kightly – two weeks’, then it goes to eight weeks, and then three months.

    “How must you feel when you know you can’t do your job for that length of time?

    “He’s maintained his focus to get himself right, and trained incredibly hard, so fingers crossed for him because he’s a lovely kid and a fabulous player. I’d love to have him back.”

    McCarthy’s men take on Tottenham at Molineux on Sunday, with Harry Redknapp’s team having just returned from a warm weather training camp in Dubai, something that the Wolves manager thinks could work either for or against them.

    “You don’t know how it affects teams,” he said. “It can have an adverse affect, not playing for quite a while, but it can also have a galvanising effect, with players spending a bit of time together.

    “They could come here and be brilliant, they’ve got the potential to be that.

    “But then we’ve got the potential to beat anybody at Molineux.”

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    Mick McCarthy Won’t Rush Kightly Back