One of the deadliest strikers in League One will pit his wits against the division's meanest defence this afternoon.

Britt Assombalonga has scored 29 goals in all competitions for Peterborough United this term and is just one strike behind Coventry City's Callum Wilson in English football's third-tier scoring charts.

Posh's £1.5m record buy has netted twice in the last week to continue his red-hot streak following a summer arrival from Watford. And boss Darren Ferguson is sure the 21-year-old has the talent to work his way up the ladder just like some of the club's former frontmen have ahead of his side's trip to Wolverhampton Wolves.

Fergie said: 'He's been good. He's scored 29 goals, which is a fantastic achievement for the boy. He's got loads to learn and loads to improve on but you can't take away the fact that he's scored 29 goals.

'The difference between him and Gayley (Dwight Gayle, now at Crystal Palace) is Gayley did it in the league above. So we'll have to wait and see, hopefully we get in the Championship, and if we do that'll be his test. But we've done it with many.

'(Craig) Mackail-Smith, (Aaron) McLean, (Dwight) Gayle, (George) Boyd, (Lee) Tomlin. We've moved them on and managed to get another one it. It's becoming more difficult but the boy definitely knows where the goal is.'

Table-topping Wolves have shipped just 25 goals from their 40 matches as they close in on the title. They've been breached 10 times less than their nearest rivals, second-placed Brentford.

Peterborough – who won the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final on Sunday – are closing in on a play-off place as they target an immediate return to the Championship alongside their opponents today who came down with them last term.

The JPT winners are four points clear of seventh-placed Swindon, having played a game less, and look likely to seal the final top-six slot to reach the end-of-season shoot-out alongside probably Preston North End, Rotherham United and Leyton Orient.

Fergie added: 'Wolves are almost there, I think they only need a couple of wins to be assured of automatic promotion. Kenny Jackett has done a very good job there. 'It is obviously a difficult place to go, but we played well at their place in front of a big crowd last season in the Championship and we go there with a bit of confidence after this week's results.'

The Posh boss will be without Joe Newell, who serves the second of a three-match ban following his sending off for violent conduct at Wembley at the weekend.