McCarthy: I'd be absolutely crackers to sell Doyle now

KEVIN DOYLE: The striker has lost his place at Wolves and has been linked with a move to Everton (AP)

The Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has backed Kevin Doyle to recapture his best form after insisting the striker is "going nowhere" before the transfer window closes tonight.

McCarthy believes Doyle should take heart from Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in recovering from dips in form with Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, and coming back stronger than ever.

Doyle has lost his place to Steven Fletcher and has been linked with a move to Everton. But McCarthy, whose side face Liverpool at Molineux tonight, said: "Whether there are legs or not in Everton's interest, Kevin is not going anywhere. I'd be crackers to sell Doyle with two days left of the transfer window. Guess what, I'm not crackers!

"You can't be the best player all the time. Rooney had a dip in form, had knocks and niggles. Van Persie went out and came back, and now he is flying again. It just happens, and you have to get over it by continuing to do what you do when you were flying and it comes back – and it will do for Kevin."

McCarthy admits he has been bemused by the number of rumours linking him with players during the past month, while midfielder Stephen Hunt is reported to be a Celtic target.

He said: "There are rumours going everywhere. I'm supposed to have bid £2m for Nathaniel Clyne from Crystal Palace. Where on earth has that come from? We tried to take him 18 months ago when he was coming out of contract and that didn't happen, but there is no truth in that regarding now.

"Hunt and Doyle are supposedly going and I'm supposed to be signing Clyne [a full-back]. That will be a readymade replacement for those two! I honestly doubt that there will be anything happening here at all, comings and goings. We've tried and it has not happened."

McCarthy said he rejected the Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish's inquiry about moving the game back 24 hours because of the transfer window. "I know Liverpool wanted to play the game on the Wednesday and asked me about it and I said 'no chance'. We are going down to QPR on Saturday so why would I play a day later?"

Wolves v Liverpool

Wolves: HENNESSEY; STEARMAN; JOHNSON; BERRA; WARD; KIGHTLY; FRIMPONG; MILIJAS; JARVIS; EDWARDS; FLETCHER

Liverpool: REINA; ENRIQUE; AGGER; SKRTEL; JOHNSON; DOWNING; ADAM; GERRARD; KUYT; BELLAMY; CARROLL

Kick-off 7.45pm (Highlights BBC 1, 10.45pm)

Ref A Taylor (Cheshire) Odds: Wol 4-1; Draw 13-5; Liv 8-11.