McCarthy rules out Doyle sale

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has made it clear he will be firmly turning down any bids for Kevin Doyle, suggesting it would "rip the heart out" of the club to lose such a player at this stage of the season.

Doyle - who scored in yesterday's 2-0 home win over Fulham which maintained Wanderers' 100% start to the Barclays Premier League campaign - has been linked with a move away from Molineux as the transfer window draws to a close.

As far as McCarthy is concerned, trading should have already ceased, and he has absolutely no intention of entertaining offers for the Republic of Ireland striker.

"I think the end of the transfer window should coincide with the start of the season," McCarthy said.

"We have started well, but can you imagine what that would do if someone took one of my best players away - not only to me, but to all the other players, to the club? It would just rip the heart out of it.

"Somebody like (summer signing) Roger Johnson has come here with the belief that we were keeping all our players - Jamie O'Hara is the same.

"I don't think it's going to happen, but I would be telling them to get lost."

Juventus, Arsenal and Liverpool are reported to be interested in Doyle, who insists the speculation will not affect his game.

Speaking to the Express and Star after Sunday's match, Doyle said: "It didn't put me off at all - it was funny. It was better being linked with those teams, I suppose.

"I will just get on with things. The manager and the lads have a laugh at me."

Doyle put Wolves in front in the 42nd minute when he collected Matt Jarvis' pass and smashed a shot past Mark Schwarzer.

Jarvis then doubled the hosts' advantage in first-half stoppage time, pouncing after Johnson's header had come back off the woodwork.

Fulham were playing their ninth game of the season due to their exploits in the Europa League, and McCarthy felt the fact they had faced Ukrainian side Dnipro in the competition only three days earlier would have taken its toll.

Cottagers manager Martin Jol - who was missing ankle injury victim Bobby Zamora - was reluctant to use tiredness as an excuse, but admitted his squad still needs strengthening in terms of numbers.

"You can talk maybe in October about there being evidence of fatigue, but not at the start of the season," Jol said.

"The only thing is that you have to use your best players all the time, so we need a couple of players in.

"I have said all along that we need a back-up player for Zamora, and we are looking for him."

McCarthy, meanwhile, thinks it "unlikely" he will be bringing any further players in before the transfer deadline next week, although Wanderers' Austrian striker Stefan Maierhofer is set to return to his homeland to join Red Bull Salzburg.

Having defeated Fulham and Blackburn in the league, Wolves will be looking to keep up the momentum tomorrow night when they take on npower League Two outfit Northampton at Sixfields in the Carling Cup second round.

McCarthy has confirmed his team will feature "lots of changes" but expects the winning streak to be extended.

"Each and every one of those players has to play in the Premier League," McCarthy said.

"This is not a reserve team, it is a Premier League team and I expect them to win."

PA