Mick McCarthy expects Wolves' battle for Premier League survival to continue to the final game of the season.

Wolves could make themselves safe this weekend if they win at McCarthy's former club Sunderland and other results involving Wigan, West Ham and Blackpool go in their favour.

But McCarthy believes that is an unlikely scenario and is gearing up for a last-day showdown against fellow strugglers Blackburn at Molineux on May 22.

McCarthy said: "It would be Utopia if all the results go our way and we are safe after the weekend games.

"It would be wonderful, but I don't believe in those fairy stories people tell me.

"Everyone has done their maths and worked out what it will take to make us safe.

"Someone said to me ‘three away results - you at Sunderland, Bolton at Blackpool and West Ham at Wigan - and you are safe.

"I said ‘is that all, three away wins for three of the bottom-four teams, that is always likely to happen on a weekend!'

"But I thought all along it would go to the last game and I'm planning that it will."

Wolves moved out of the bottom three for the first time in nearly three months after last weekend's derby success over West Brom.

But McCarthy is taking nothing for granted as Wolves look to secure a third successive season of top-flight football.

He said: "We put ourselves in the position last week where it is in our hands.

"Let's try to take care of it without depending on anyone else. Of course, it makes you feel better being out of the bottom three.

"I've sat here and said ‘we'll get out of it, we are not going down'. You've all looked me in the eye and asked if I believed it and I said ‘yes'.

"But we are not safe. Starting to believe anything else would be remiss of all of us.

"If we start to believe it, you can just trip yourselves up.

"Let's not start getting soft and thinking we've done our job.

"Let's remain tough, stoic and resolute, like we've had to be all season."