• 24-year-old has not played since November 2009
• Mick McCarthy ready to send Kightly out on loan
Michael Kightly has been left out of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 25-man squad for the first half of the season after suffering a setback in his recovery from knee problems.
The 24-year-old winger has not played since November 2009 because of a patella tendon injury and is now likely to go out on loan once he is fit.
The Wolves manager, Mick McCarthy, told the club’s website: “We’re just going to let Kights get on with it. He’s still not quite ready to come back and there’s no pressure on him – it will take as long as it takes. There’s no time limit on it either. When he is fit, he won’t have played since last November and it would be very difficult in that situation to go straight back into the Premier League.
“So, when he is ready, we’ll be able to discuss with him the possibility of going out on loan, which he can do before we have the chance to revise the squad in January.”
Stephen Hunt, who is recovering from foot surgery, has been included along with new recruit Marcus Bent, a loan signing from Birmingham City yesterday. The 32-year-old will be playing for a 14th professional club, and he believes he can still make an impact in the Premier League.
“Once you stop believing in yourself you might as well hang up your boots,” Bent said. “As a footballer, you try and push yourself every day to achieve more and more. I’ll never stop learning. I might be one of the older members of the squad here but I can still get better. I am sure the boys will teach me some stuff and hopefully I can teach them some stuff.”
As well as his named 25, McCarthy will also be able to draw on his development squad, with youngsters Geoffrey Bia Mujangi, Danny Batth, Sam Winnall and Ashley Hemmings all pushing for inclusion.
McCarthy added: “I am delighted with the squad I’ve got at my disposal. Now we’ve got the 25 sorted and we can crack on without any interruptions until January. And there are a lot of lads waiting in the wings who are ready to take their chance if they are called upon.”
Wolves’ 25-man squad
Marcus Hahnemann, Wayne Hennessey, Carl Ikeme, Kevin Foley, Ronald Zubar, Richard Stearman, Jody Craddock, Christophe Berra, Steven Mouyokolo, George Elokobi, Stephen Ward, Jelle Van Damme, Karl Henry, David Jones, Michael Mancienne (on loan from Chelsea), Dave Edwards, Greg Halford, Nenad Milijas, Adlene Guedioura, Matt Jarvis, Stephen Hunt, Kevin Doyle, Steven Fletcher, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Marcus Bent (on loan from Birmingham)
Wolverhampton WanderersPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk
