Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is relishing his side's testing run-in - because he would rather be facing teams at the top of the table than those near the bottom.

Following tomorrow's televised trip to play-off hopefuls Charlton, Wolves also have to face Bristol City, Albion, Ipswich, Cardiff and Plymouth in a seven-game closing sequence in which Coventry provide the only opposition from the lower half of the Championship.

But the Molineux boss wouldn't have it any other way as Wolves look to build on their encouraging run of four victories and two draws from the last seven matches.

"It's in our hands to get to the play-offs and I prefer to have these tough games," he said today. "I would rather have that programme than playing those teams who are struggling against relegation.

"It means we are facing sides who are suffering the same anxieties as we are. If you play a side from near the bottom, everyone expects you to win and some people think it's going to be a doddle.

"It almost gets to the stage for the bottom clubs of them thinking they have nothing to lose so they might as well just go and give it a right good go. And then they might produce a performance that is alien to everything else they have done in the season and they say: 'If only we'd played like that in the other games.'"

Wolves will be without the luckless Rob Edwards at The Valley while midfielder David Edwards has been suffering from a bug as well as the groin injury that will keep him out for at least another fortnight.

But Jody Craddock, who was thrown back into the fray last weekend, is available, along with his central defensive partners Gary Breen and Darren Ward.

Although Wolves have seven games over the next five weeks, they have a fortnight's break after tomorrow due to their scheduled April 5 opponents, Cardiff, having reached the FA Cup semi-final.

"Obviously we could be further down the table as a result of that through no fault of our own," Mick added. "But the break will help one or two of the injured lads and the bug that we've had in the club will maybe be out of the place at last."