Aston Villa-Wolverhampton Preview

Oct 22, 2009 - 3:47 PM CHRIS TUPLING STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is convinced Midlands rivals Wolves can stay in the Premier League as the clubs prepare to meet at Molineux on Saturday.

Championship title holders Wolves have had a mixed start to life in the top flight, drawing honourably at Everton last week but beaten by bottom-placed Portsmouth in the previous fixture among some unpredictable results.

O'Neill watched Wolves go down 1-0 to Portsmouth and saw enough to make him believe Mick McCarthy's team have the potential to survive.

"Will they stay up? I absolutely believe they will. They were unlucky against Portsmouth. They play with enthusiasm and endeavour and like to get forward.

"This is a dangerous game for us. It is a derby match with all that goes with a derby in terms of passion among the fans and the expectations.

"We will have to be at our very best to cope with what Wolves are bound to offer and I think they have the quality to cause us great concern."

Villa may recall right back Luke Young for his first match of the season, his contribution delayed by injury and then the death of his half-brother.

O'Neill added: "Carlos Cuellar has done well at right back but Young is back in the squad and in contention for a place."

Wolves will be without Austrian striker Stefan Maierhofer who was sent off in injury time at Goodison Park last week.

But McCarthy believes he can cope without the banned Maierhofer by using his new striking partnership of Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

McCarthy said: "I think we are coming to terms with life in the Premier League. It has not surprised me because I knew what it would be like, but some of my players are having to learn quickly.

"I firmly believe we are good enough for this league. I think the quality is there and we will prove it over the next few weeks and months."

Doyle, once a Villa transfer target before his 6.5 million pounds move to Wolves from Reading, is relishing his link with Ebanks-Blake.

"It is great to be up front with Sylvan. We are working well together and the more we play as a partnership, the more productive we will be.

"At the moment we seem to be playing better against the bigger teams. We drew at Everton when they scored in the last minute and we were disappointed but as the manager said, to draw at Everton is an achievement.

"We struggle against the lesser teams, as we showed against Portsmouth, but I am sure we can overcome that problem."

Doyle has scored three goals in his last six appearances and is beginning to justify his club record fee while Michael Kightly, a key figure in last season's success, is fully fit.

Kightly said: "I played last week at Everton and it was hard to believe that here I was playing in the Premier League at last.

"That was just the beginning as far as I was concerned. I am just looking forward to taking on Aston Villa. We respect them but there is no fear on our part."