Blues boss Mick McCarthy says Conor Grant’s performance on his full Championship debut was one positive from Saturday’s largely disappointing 2-0 defeat at Brentford and that the midfielder, who has a groin injury, will be missed at Wolves this evening.
"He’s had a bright start,” McCarthy said. "I don’t know how serious it is but he’s not available for Tuesday night.
"That’s frustrating, I thought he played very well in the first half at Brentford. He was creative, hit a great freekick which shaved the crossbar just about, their keeper was diving full length because he thought it was close.
"Freekicks, corners, he’s good at them. We’re going miss that, I just hope it’s going to be a couple of days.”
McCarthy says he was in reviewing the game and then highlighting what went wrong to the players on Sunday.
"I came back and I watched it on Sunday morning as usual, seven o’clock,” he said. "I was asked about it immediately after the game when my emotions are running high.
"We looked like conceding but I don’t think we completely unravelled until the second goal went in.
"Then we’re trying to get a goal back and it suits Brentford when we’re chasing it. And, of course, they’re playing confidently, they’ve got two goals. But it’s the goals we’ve conceded.
"I’ve just seen the stats. We had nearly the same possession, we had two shots fewer, we shot fewer on target, we had as many balls in the box.
"We played well in the first half and [the second half] never looked like coming and goals change obviously the result, but they also change the course of the game, they change the feel of the game for us, and for them. They played well having got the goals.
"That could be said about us and Barnsley last week. Having had not a great performance in the first half we played really well in the second.
"And it was the goals that changed it on Saturday as they did against Barnsley. We got one after 39 seconds, they got one after three minutes on Saturday and it really knocked us, that’s for certain.”
Are there enough leaders in his squad? "They could all do more, without a doubt, organise more. I’ve said to them to be proactive on the pitch.
"I can come in on Sunday morning and find out what went wrong and if I gave them the DVD or a video clip of it they could all find out what was wrong. They all know then.
"It’s about being proactive on the pitch, organising and doing it prior to the event, so all those tiny details don’t end up with the ball in the back of our net.
"They don’t have to be shouters and screamers, just organising somebody in front, ‘Hey, come on, just tuck in here, just pick up, push on to him’. That requires nothing except just a bit of gumption, a bit of savvy and being prepared to do it. Teams who have got those players in them are better teams for it.”
Meanwhile, the Town boss had praise for the Blues’ support at Griffin Park and fully appreciates why fewer travelling fans are likely to be at Molineux this evening.
"We had great support at Brentford, it was terrific,” he said. "Not quite as easy on a school night at Wolverhampton when you’re having to get back.”