Wolves have confirmed today that new striker Kevin Doyle has undergone surgery on a hernia, an operation which will likely keep the former Reading man sidelined for a number of weeks.

His boss Mick McCarthy is confident that Doyle will make a return to training in a fortnight but that appears to be an optimistic view. Even if Doyle is to make the season kick-off, there’s little doubt that this will disrupt his pre-season and could blunt his goal-getting instincts for the opening games.

Wolves have already lost striker Chris Iwelumo to a metatarsal injury in pre-season so McCarthy will certainly be keen to have Doyle available. The Irishman is a proven provider of goals in the Premier League having notched 13 goals in 28 starts for Reading in the 2006/07 season. Memories of that season (rather than the disappointing one that followed) may have a few fantasy managers deliberating over his selection as a budget forward over the unproven top flight talents of team-mate Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. This latest setback for Doyle could well be a deciding factor for those pondering that particular decision.