Preview: Cardiff City vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to keep in touch with the Championship playoff places when they travel to South Wales to take on Cardiff City on Saturday.

Kenny Jackett's side are currently on the outside looking in, with only two points separating third place from seventh-placed Brentford and Wolves sitting a further four behind the Bees in eighth.

However, the Midlands outfit appear to be hitting their stride at an important time of the season having won their last two games in style, scoring eight goals and conceding none in the process.

A 5-0 rout of Rotherham United last weekend was followed up by a comfortable victory over Fulham on Tuesday in which Wolves got the job done in the first half.

Bakary Sako was instrumental in both games, with three goals and two assists signifying a timely return to form for the in-demand striker.

Benik Afobe and Nouha Dicko have also contributed to the recent upturn in form, and that front trio is expected to start up top once again despite Sako suffering from a stomach bug this week.

Scott Golbourne is the only doubt for the match as the hosts continue to monitor his foot troubles, but he is expected to be fit and Jackett could name an unchanged side.

Wolves will be looking to return to winning ways on the road having seen a six-match unbeaten away streak come to an end against Norwich City earlier this month, but they come up against a Cardiff side who have made themselves difficult to beat recently.

Tuesday's narrow 1-0 victory over former manager Malky Mackay's Wigan Athletic was their first win in nine matches, but a run of four draws before that means that they are now unbeaten in five.

All of those games have been tight affairs, and only league leaders Derby County have beaten Cardiff by more than one goal in the Bluebirds' 11 outings so far this calendar year.

Russell Slade's side have conceded just two goals in their five-game unbeaten streak, but have also only managed to score three in their last six games.

Their victory over Wigan came at the DW Stadium, and Slade will be keen to rediscover winning ways at home too having seen his side fail to pick up a victory in their last four matches in front of their own fans, scoring only two goals in that time.

Alex Revell is pushing for a start in an attempt to improve that record, but Slade could once again stick with a front two of Kenwyne Jones and Eoin Doyle.

Joe Ralls was forced to fill in at left-back in midweek with both Scott Malone and Lee Peltier sidelined, and the latter is rated as 50-50 to return to the starting lineup this weekend.

Cardiff:

Recent form: LDDDDW

Possible starting lineup: Marshall; Connolly, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Peltier; Kennedy, Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Noone; Doyle, Jones

Wolves:

Recent form: DLWLWW

Possible starting lineup: Kuszczak; Iorfa, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne; McDonald, Price, Afobe, Edwards, Sako; Dicko

Sports Mole says: 1-2