Biting the hand that once fed him has come naturally for Mick McCarthy who have managed to get the upper hand on former employers Wolves, but there could not be a better time for him to make it three victories in a row.

Ispwich currently find themselves three points clear of the chasing pack in the race for the play-offs which could ultimately go down to the wire, with their trip to Molineux coming at a crucial point of the season.

Consecutive victories at Portman Road against Blackpool and Cardiff have put the Tractor Boys in a good position, but with just three games remaining, they cannot afford to slip up and allow Wolves or Brentford to go above them.

Avoiding defeat would arguably be the best outcome for Ipswich who have real hopes of returning to the Premier League after an eleven-year hiatus, and with the play-offs often turning into a complete lottery, there is every chance that McCarthy could become a top-flight manager once again.

Big performance required
Ipswich will be aware that Wolves have an impressive home record and usually play their best football on home soil, but going into the game on the back of six defeats from the last eight games away from Portman Road may not fill their fans with confidence.

A big performance is therefore required to ensure they nullify Wolves’ attacking threat and pose their own problems, particularly through the league’s top scorer Daryl Murphy who has been outstanding in front of goal.

Their fantastic 1-0 win at Watford proves the McCarthy’s team have it in them to produce the goods away from home, but it may need the experience and quality of Christoph Berra and Tommy Smith to come to the fore and provide the defensive foundations for the Tractor Boys to gain three invaluable points.

Dip in form
Consecutive 2-1 defeats at Birmingham and Middlesbrough have resulted in Wolves losing their grip on a play-off spot and opened the door for Ipswich to steal a march on them.

However, Kenny Jackett’s side have a perfect opportunity to redeem themselves against Ipswich and go level on points, although they will still find themselves behind McCarthy’s men on goal difference if they manage to come out on top in the potential winners-take-all clash.

Five victories in their last six fixtures at Molineux may make Wolves favourites to provide yet another dramatic twist in an unpredictable Championship season at the top, with Bakary Sako, Nouha Dicko and Benik Afobe continuing to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Jackett will need all three to be on song to fire Wolves towards victory, but Richard Stearman and Danny Batth will have to stand up strong to prevent Murphy, who already have twenty-four goals for the season, from adding to his tally.