Wolves were not able to secure their top-flight survival until the final day of last term after the relegation dogfight went right down to the wire. The signs are that it will be similarly tense this time around, with many teams struggling for consistency during the early part of the campaign. Wolves and Sunderland are both currently just outside the drop zone and lock horns at Molineux on Sunday in a match that Ward is desperate to win. "Outside the top eight or nine teams, anyone could find themselves in our position very quickly," he said in the Express & Star. "Thankfully, we're not in the bottom three but we're in quite a dangerous position so we're not far away from it. "If we can get a win though that will be a big step away from it, especially as it's against one of our rivals." Ward has also been buoyed by the news that Jamie O'Hara and Stephen Hunt are set to return from suspension, while Kevin Doyle (knee) and Richard Stearman (broken wrist) could also be in contention to face the Black Cats. "All four will probably be available which will be massively important for us," he said. "Having everyone fit - or virtually everyone - is massive for us, especially because they're big players for us."
