Wolves have completed the signing of Burnley striker Steven Fletcher for what will work out to be a club record £6.5million transfer fee.

The Scottish international heads to the Black Country after just one season at Turf Moor in which he scored 12 goals last season in all competitions, but could not help the Clarets avoid relegation to the Championship.

Fletcher has penned a four-year deal at Molineux, with the option for a fifth if his spell at the club goes well.

Chief Executive Jez Moxey was pleased with the capture, saying: “He was one of Mick McCarthy’s main targets for the summer and, just like last season with Kevin Doyle, we were able to register our interest early and get the deal done.”

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is urging his players not to take their eye off the ball after they moved six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Wanderers picked up a point at Fulham at the weekend although they have not scored in their last four games since beating fellow strugglers West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park on March 23.

And McCarthy readily admits he will take whatever he can get between now and the end of the campaign on May 9.

The former Republic of Ireland boss said: “Let’s not presume that we are safe.

“We still need points because we are not scoring. If we get three clean sheets then I will take it.

“Playing great football and losing still gets you no points.”

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has praised his players for adapting to life in the Premier League this season.

The Molineux outfit have recently given their chances of avoiding relegation a real shot in the arm with seven points from three games – all of which were away from home.

And while McCarthy insists there is still “work to do”, he also admits things are potentially looking good for the Midlanders.

The former Republic of Ireland boss told the Express & Star: “We came into the season with very little Premier League experience, some of them have got better and matured to the belief in themselves that they can play in the Premier League.

“Not just survive, but also compete against teams who are supposedly better than us.”

McCarthy added: “If you’d have asked me whether we’d have got nine points from those three away games, I’d have said ‘no’ but if you’d asked if I’d settled for three, I’d have said ‘yes’”.

Wolves have “no chance” of keeping striker Kevin Doyle if they suffer relegation from the Premier League, according to manager Mick McCarthy.

Wolves are level on 24 points with third-from-bottom Hull and in danger of an automatic return to the Championship unless results do not pick up.

Republic of Ireland international Doyle has scored six goals in all competitions this season and is arguably McCarthy’s most saleable asset.

The Molineux boss is in no doubt he would fit in with the likes of “Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea” if he is offloaded if Wolves go down.

“If we go down, we have no chance of holding on to him,” McCarthy told The Mirror.

He added: “If we stay up, we might still have a problem because there will be a few interested.”

Wolves are set to be boosted in their Premier League relegation battle with the return of forward Andy Keogh to the first-team plans.

The Republic of Ireland star came on for the last 15 minutes of Wolves’ 1-0 defeat at Bolton last weekend, but took another big step to fitness with 90 minutes for the reserves this week.

Keogh is now pushing for a return to the starting line-up after three months out with an ankle injury, but he is likely to be on the bench again this week when Wolves take on Manchester United.

Skipper Karl Henry is delighted to see the former Scunthorpe man back, telling the Express and Star: “He can definitely be a key player for us because he can play a number of positions in the front three or four. Hopefully he can help us stay in this league.”

Wolves certainly need some more attacking threat for the final 11 games of the season, with Wanderers scoring the fewest goals in the Premier League this season – 21 from 27 games.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy claims that the fight for Premier League survival is now down to just seven teams.

McCarthy believes that both Blackburn and West Ham are out of trouble and it is between the six teams above Portsmouth, who are separated by just three points.

With Wolves preparing for a massive clash at Bolton on Saturday, McCarthy remains confident that his side will beat the drop and secure a top flight place for next season.

The Wolves boss told the Express and Star newspaper:  “I don’t think West Ham will be involved because they’ve got too much quality, while Stoke and Blackburn are out of it as well.

“So I think it’s from Sunderland, Burnley, Wolves, Bolton, Portsmouth, Hull and Wigan – those seven. If that proves to be the case, I fancy us to finish above three of them.”

The concern for Wolves is that they have won just one of their last eight league games and have scored the joint fewest goals in the Premier League – 21 the same as Portsmouth.

Mick McCarthy thinks his Wolves side are good enough to avoid relegation from the Premier League even if there are no new signings during the transfer window.

The manager ended 2009 with his side sitting in 15th place in the Premier League with 19 points from 20 games and he is confident the players at Molineux are good enough to remain in the top flight.

According to McCarthy, there is confidence throughout the playing squad after some impressive performances and the side is beginning to improve and look more comfortable in the Premier League.

He added that he would take a 17th-placed finish at the end of the season but is sure that his side is good enough even if he is unable to bring in any new faces before the transfer window closes.

“We are in a better position than some of the clubs. We are out of that bottom three. We’d like to be better off, obviously, but I think we are improving and getting better,” said McCarthy.

“I don’t know what business other clubs will do in January but, if we can’t do anything ourselves, then I am delighted with the squad I’ve got.”

The former Sunderland and Republic of Ireland manager recently moved to quash speculation that he was interesting in signing Newcastle striker Andy Carroll and also veteran Birmingham midfielder Lee Carsley.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy will be called in front of Premier League officials to explain why he made ten changes for Tuesday’s game with Manchester United.

The former Republic of Ireland manager shuffled his pack for the trip to Old Trafford with Sunday’s game against Burnley in mind.

The only man to retain his place in the starting eleven for Saturday’s win at Tottenham was goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, a move which left many Wolves’ fans angry.

McCarthy claims he made the decision based on his long-term vision of Wolves fight against the drop, but this may not save him from being reprimanded by the Premier League.

“The Premier League Board have written to Wolverhampton Wanderers to request their observations in relation to the team fielded in their League fixture against Manchester United,” a statement issued by the Premier League read.

“Once the observations are received the Board will decide whether any further action is warranted.”

While the team selected for the 3-0 defeat by United contained six internationals there is still a slime chance Wolves could be given a point deduction, although it would appear unlikely with Manchester United, West Brom, Arsenal and Liverpool having done similar things in the past.

Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards has been ruled out from the pitch for up to 10 weeks due to ankle ligament damage.

The Welsh international suffered the injury after falling awkwardly during his side’s 1-0 win at Tottenham on Saturday.

Edwards may have to undergo surgery, and joins Michael Kightly and Andy Keogh on the sidelines for the Midlands club.

“Losing Dave is another big blow for us. Losing three players so quickly is a problem we could have done without,” said Wolves boss Mick McCarthy.

“Dave has always been available. He is very versatile and has done very well this season. He has done everything we have asked.”

Fellow midfielder Kightly and striker Keogh also have ankle problems, with the trio each being ruled out for the crucial festive period in Wolves’ battle for Premier League survival.

Kightly was injured in the defeat by Birmingham on November 29 and is out until the middle of January.

Keogh, who will undergo surgery this week after suffering ligament damage in training, faces two months out of action.

Mick McCarthy has described the eight weeks injury lay-off for winger Michael Kightly because of potential ankle surgery as “really disappointing”.

The 23-year-old was replaced on Sunday in the 1-0 home defeat by Birmingham – half an hour after coming on as a substitute in the 32nd minute – and on Tuesday visited a specialist for a scan on the problem area.

McCarthy said: “He’s had a scan and it looks like he’ll need an operation which would be six to eight weeks out.”

Kightly underwent hip and foot surgery in the close-season and had only just returned to form for the Premier League newcomers.

McCarthy said Kightly would get the best treatment available and revealed the prognosis could have been a lot worse.

“The way he went over and rolled his ankle apparently he’s quite lucky and it could have been worse,” he said.

McCarthy added on the official club website: “We’ve not really had Michael at his full potential yet and Sunday was the first time we’d maybe seen that and then he picks up a new injury.

“It’s really disappointing for him because he wants to play and he thought he was somewhere at it.”