LOGAN Swann is in contention to return to the Warrington Wolves line-up at Wakefield on Sunday after three weeks out injured.

The second rower is expected to be named in Wolves' 20-man squad for the Wildcats clash after making a recovery from an ankle problem sustained in the defeat at Salford on 'Good' Friday, but coach Paul Cullen is reluctant to rush him back into action before he is absolutely ready.

Swann, who together with Henry Fa'afili has been omitted from New Zealand's squad for their upcoming Anzac Test against Australia after being heavily involved in last year's Tri-Nations Series, had previously damaged the same ankle against St Helens, and Cullen is keen to avoid another setback.

He said: "Logan has a chance of playing but we need to err on the side of caution. We have a long season ahead of us, and when he comes back we hope it will be for the rest of the season and not just in and out consistently re-injuring the same ankle."

But even if Swann passes all the medical tests, his selection is by no means automatic after Wolves put in an outstanding performance on Sunday to beat last season's Grand Finalists Bradford Bulls 35-32.

That has left Cullen considering the possibility of rewarding the players involved in that win by naming an unchanged starting 13 for the Belle Vue tussle, which kicks off at 3.30pm.

He said: "There's a very good chance we might be able to name the same side, but, if

fit, Logan gives me a very positive option."

Swann is the last of Wolves' big hitters to reach fitness, with Paul Wood, Mark Hilton, Nathan Wood, Chris Leikvoll, Toa Kohe-Love and Paul Noone all having made comebacks in recent weeks, and Cullen believes the defeat at Salford perfectly illustrated how much their muscle and experience were missed.

He said: "The second half against Salford was our darkest hour this season without a doubt, when we had a front row of Andy Bracek, Mark Gleeson and Steve Pickersgill taking on a tough, powerful side.

"If you gave me a chance to turn the clock back I'd take a one-point win anytime, but it could be a defining moment for us.

"That was an awful Easter, but to then beat Widnes in such style was a mark of character, and I've been proud of the way we'v handled ourselves - the coaching staff and the players haven't buckled when the pressure has been almost intolerable at times."

The Salford match seemed a distant memory as Wolves flew ahead against Bradford, even if they had to fight hard to prevent Bulls completing a dramatic comeback.

Cullen said: "I thought we were the far more adventurous side and 29-4 on the hour was a significant piece of work.

"We knew at some point we would have to weather a storm and we did, but I always thought that we'd done enough."

However, the Wolves chief is wary of the possibility of an 'After the Lord Mayor's Show' performance against Wakefield, who have lost five of their last six games, with the only win in that period coming at leaders Leeds Rhinos.

"There's always the danger of that, purely because of the effort put in against Widnes, Leeds and Bradford, and we have to force ourselves through those fatigue issues," he said.

"We know what Wakefield are capable of when they can sniff a win - they smelt one against Rhinos and really went for the throat - and we have to make sure we don't give them any signals that they have a chance of winning."

Chris Bridge and Dean Gaskell are expected to be named in Wolves' 20-man squad after playing for the under 21s on Sunday, while Sid Domic should return for Wakefield.

Expected 20-man squad: Brent Grose, Henry Fa'afili, Martin Gleeson, Toa Kohe-Love, Graham Appo, Lee Briers, Nathan Wood, Chris Leikvoll, Mark Gleeson, Mark Hilton, Ben Westwood, Mike Wainwright, Jon Clarke, Paul Noone, Paul Wood, Danny Lima, Logan Swann, Chris Bridge, Dean Gaskell, Steve Pickersgill.

Warrington's under 21s play their first Championship home game on Saturday against Leigh at Wilderspool, kick-off 11.30am. Wolves' under 18s will be in action on Saturday at Leeds, kick-off 2pm.

Wildcats v Wolves

Last meeting: Wildcats 32 Wolves 26, July 18, 2004. Darren Burns crossed for two Wolves tries after Paul Wood, Mike Forshaw and Danny Lima had touched down. Lee Briers kicked three goals. Away results versus Wildcats in Super League (Wolves first): 1999, 15-8; 2000, 24-28 and 26-18; 2001, 19-18; 2002, 20-32 and 10-50; 2003, 12-32; 2004, 26-32. Wildcats squad: Colum Halpenny, Michael Wainwright, Jason Demetriou, Sid Domic, Semi Tadulala, Jamie Rooney, Ben Jeffries, Darrell Griffin, David March, Michael Korkidas, David Solomona, Jamie Field, Rob Spicer, Sam Obst, David Wrench, Steve Snitch, Duncan MacGillivray, Olivier Elima, Kevin King, Liam Finn, Mark Field, Mark Applegarth, Liam Campbell, Sylvain Houles, Andy Kirk, Julian O'Neill, Chris Feather. Links with Wildcats: Sid Domic was released by Wolves at the end of 2003 after two seasons with the club, while Ben Westwood and Nathan Wood are both former Wakefield players. Danger man: Wildcats skipper Jason Demetriou played a key role in the recent demolition of Leeds Rhinos. Form guide - Wildcats' last five competitive home games: Dispatched by Hull 36-12, overwhelmed by Huddersfield 42-20, defeated Leigh 38-26, sneaked past Wigan 18-16, edged out Huddersfield 21-20.