Wolverhampton Wanderers again head north for a fixture without Celtic target Lee Naylor tonight - and this time it looks like his absence will be permanent.

After agreeing personal terms, Naylor is now understood to be on the brink of completing a £600,000 plus player exchange move to Parkhead. The only delay to the deal being completed by the time Wolves kick off this season's Carling Cup campaign at Chesterfield tonight is sorting out who comes the other way.

Young Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew, handily also a left-back, is expected to come in as a straight replacement.

Mulgrew is highly rated north of the border, having been denied a first team place only thanks to a private disagreement with Celtic manager Gordon Strachan. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is confident that the hole left by Naylor can be filled.

"We're just waiting to finalise a deal," said McCarthy, "and we're probably at a stage where it's acceptable. I've said all along it's not what I really wanted to happen. But when a player is out of contract at the end of the season it's probably good business sense.

"And it's probably good team sense as well, when you've got a player who's done great for the club, then gets an opportunity like this.

"Having been a Celtic player myself, I fully understand his desire to move on to fresh pastures. He's had a good innings here, but we carry on without him. As we proved on Saturday when somebody leaves, the King is dead, long live the King, somebody else comes in and plays."

That was youngster Daniel Jones, who impressed in mid-field, the adaptable Jamie Clapham reverting to left-back as Naylor's stand-in for Saturday's 1-0 league win at Burnley. While Jones did more than enough to keep his place, McCarthy may be tempted to make changes, with Gary Breen carrying a foot injury and Jay Bothroyd also in the treatment room.

Mark Clyde, Jackie McNamara and Michael Oakes are all still sidelined along with long-term absentees Mark Davies and Gabor Gyepes, while young keeper Wayne Hennessey has 'popped' his shoulder on loan at Bristol City. But Denes Rosa, young Mark Little and Tomasz Frankowski are all in tonight's squad. For Frankowski, that could be construed as a shop window.

"Everybody's been asking me about Tomasz," said McCarthy, "and there well there might be an opportunity for him here.

"He's been brighter since he came back from international duty with Poland. And I know it happens that way. It can help just to play a game. Tomasz has had three days back in Poland, speaking Polish, and he's come back refreshed."

Now he could have the chance to fill his boots at the expense of Roy McFarland's League One outfit at Saltergate. But McCarthy is more wary of the Spirites' own goal threat.

"The day I went to see them, it was 0-0, but they've changed their strikers from that day. They've scored five against Millwall and I know they play some nice stuff."