JAY Spearing and Mark Davies will be told to “take charge” and give Wanderers a fighting chance of survival this weekend.

Neil Lennon issued extra responsibility to the pair at Wolves on Tuesday night and was delighted with the reaction he got.

Now, with a chance to bring themselves to within a point of safety, Wanderers again are looking to two of their most experienced heads as they take on struggling Rotherham United.

“They have huge roles to play,” the manager said. “We have got young players who need to be nurtured through games, learning as they go along. I need the more experienced ones to get hold of them and give them a chance.

“Jay had his best game for a long, long time at Wolves. He was excellent and for 90 minutes he did exactly what we needed him to.

“I’d had a wee chat with him last week because I think he’d been lacking confidence. But that showed you, it’s in there.

“We gave Mark Davies the captaincy because Darren Pratley had been injured and that little bit of responsibility has brought something out of him again.

“If we are going to get out of this we need the senior players to step up more often.”

Some bookmakers have Wanderers at 20 to one on to be relegated this season.

Realistically, administration could still be on the cards, which would carry with it a 12-point penalty. But Lennon has told his players to concentrate on the current situation and not what “might happen” in the future.

“We cannot affect what people are saying about us, or what is happening off the pitch,” he said. “People didn’t give us a chance at Wolves and we got a point. It wasn’t a win that I think we deserved, but it was a small step in the right direction.

“They are still writing us off now but the players have to bring it on board. I said to the players before that game that no-one is giving you a chance – go and prove people wrong.

“I hope that is sinking in now.”

Zach Clough’s fitness will be checked today to see if he can play any part against Rotherham, while Gary Madine and Darren Pratley – who both missed Tuesday’s draw at Molineux with back injuries – are also being closely monitored.