Carl Ikeme returns in Wolves keeper crisis

Wolves today recalled keeper Carl Ikeme from his loan at Doncaster to cover for the injured Wayne Hennessey for the rest of the season.

The Wales international is expected to be out for up to nine months after an initial scan showed a tear in his cruciate knee ligament. Ever-present Hennessey should find out more about his knee injury and whether he will undergo an operation immediately when he sees a surgeon in London either today or tomorrow.

With Hennessey out, 31-year-old Dorus De Vries is expected to step up for his Premier League debut in the 'do-or-die' clash against Manchester City on Sunday.

Wolves therefore need a deputy keeper and have activated the 24-hour recall clause in Ikeme's loan to the end of the season at Doncaster, with the untried Aaron McCarey as the only other back-up.

"We felt it prudent to recall Carl as a precaution," said boss Terry Connor.

"But we'll have to wait until he's (Hennessey) seen the specialist before we know the full extent of his injuries."

Ikeme, who has never played in the Premier League but signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Molineux in November, is back at Wolves after failing to figure in the last three games for Rovers, who were relegated from the Championship following Saturday's 4-3 defeat to Portsmouth.

But the 25-year-old has enjoyed far more action this term than De Vries, whose only game-time since his free transfer from Swansea in the summer has been five appearances in the cups, the last of which was the FA Cup exit to Birmingham on January 18.

Since then he has played just once, in the reserves.

Ikeme, whose last game for Wolves was in January 2009, has made 25 Championship appearances this season – the most he has ever played in one campaign.

He finished his second and third stints of 2011-12 at Keepmoat Stadium having played 15 games, conceding 26 goals and with two clean sheets after his first ended early with a thumb injury. Before that, he never lost in 10 games for Middlesbrough and reeled off six clean sheets.

Adam Hammill won't be recalled from his loan at Middlesbrough, despite Stephen Hunt's absence.