Stones, Digby, Mido, McNulty, Silva, O'Brien, Steele, Edwards, Done out...
Reds Manager Keith Hill met with the press ahead of tonight’s tough trip to recently relegated Wolves for his side’s second league clash of the season.
After despatching of Middlesbrough 1-0 at Oakwell, tonight the Tykes face another side who are favourites to finish in the upper reaches of the table.
“It was a good opening day performance plus the victory,” said Hill of Saturday’s win. “The margin of the score-line should have been more.
“All the injuries we’ve got are all different so we can’t say it’s as a result of doing this or that.
“On Friday we were running through our set-plays and Jim McNulty felt a twinge in his hamstring. On Saturday we incurred another injury with (Paul) Digby and a thigh strain. Then during the game, as a result of what was, for me, the result of a bookable challenge. Matty Done’s opened his knee up and won’t be available until after the international break.
“Added to that, John Stones has hyperextended his knee. There’s a lot of soreness in his knee. He might have been due a rest anyway because he’s been performing to an exceptional standard.”
Others in the treatment room include Rob Edwards, Luke Steele, Mido, Jim O’Brien and Toni Silva but recent addition Martin Cranie might just be handed his Reds debut at Molineux.
“He’s (Martin Cranie) the right type of signing for our football club and what we’re trying to achieve,” said Hill of Cranie. “We could probably have done with an outfield, offensive player. But this was a necessary signing from a Manager’s point of view.
“There’s nothing in the pipeline, we’ve made one or two calls over the weekend but nothing’s been green-lighted and given the go-ahead. It’s difficult but it’s something we have to and will deal with.”
Tonight sees Wolves boss Ståle Solbakken take charge of his side from the home dugout in the league for the first time, the Norwegian looking to bounce back from an opening day defeat at Leeds United.
“They’re a Premier League squad not a Premier League team,” Hill continued. “They’ve been rewarded for getting relegated with parachutepayments or ‘solidarity’ payments.
“They’ve got a good Manager and a solid squad. They will adjust to the Championship those players because they’re quality players. If you look at the squad on paper, they’re outstanding players. So, we are going there trying to win a football match against a Premier League Club.
“For me, I don’t think they’ll just fall into rank. You can’t write Wolves, Blackburn, Bolton off, they’re excellent teams with excellent players.
“You can’t ignore fact as to why we are relegation favourites. I don’t feel insulted. There’s a fight that goes on I want players to express on the pitch.”
