David Davis back in the Molineux mix, says Wolves boss

Manager Stale Solbakken believes he must allow 21-year-old Davis the opportunity to prove himself after refusing to allow Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong to return on loan at a time when Karl Henry is one game into his three-match ban. Frimpong instead moved across the capital yesterday and joined Championship rivals Charlton on loan until January 1.

Smethwick-born Davis played the last 15 minutes of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Watford – having Wolves' only other on-target effort apart from Bakary Sako's goal – before getting the full 90 minutes in the reserves' 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace last night.

And Solbakken insists he must be true to the club's principles of trying to promote their own academy talent before signing other players, otherwise he couldn't look the youngsters in the eye and say they would get their chance.

"I think he can progress into a really good midfielder," said Solbakken.

"At this moment, if there was another player who was much better and could go straight in, no-one would question it.

"But we have a player (Davis) who's more or less at the same level at this moment and if we'd have brought someone else in, we'd have had to say to David Davis 'you have to find another club', and I don't like that.

"So for me, this wasn't a hard decision. It was a decision made not only in the best interests of the club, but for David Davis, and the whole philosophy of the club."

Solbakken admitted Davis' form was adversely affected by playing too much at the start of the season, when he and fellow academy graduate Anthony Forde were blooded together before Wolves signed Tongo Doumbia, Slawomir Peszko, Razak Boukari and Sako.

But the Norwegian is convinced Davis is ready to challenge again now.