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<\/p>\nWolverhampton Wanderers have suffered a significant defensive setback ahead of Saturday\u2019s Championship trip to Preston North End, with Kieran Trippier and Yerson Mosquera both ruled out after picking up injuries against Blackburn Rovers.<\/p>\n
Wolverhampton Wanderers head into their first away league match of the 2026\/27 Championship campaign with growing concerns over their defensive options after two important players were ruled out for a spell.<\/p>\n
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C\u00e9sar Peixoto\u2019s side travel to Deepdale on Saturday looking for their first Championship victory of the campaign after drawing 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers at Molineux last weekend. However, the Portuguese head coach will have to make changes after Kieran Trippier and Yerson Mosquera suffered injuries in the opening league fixture.<\/p>\n
The latest setback has naturally caused concern among Wolves supporters, particularly because both players had been expected to play important roles in the club\u2019s attempt to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.<\/p>\n
The club\u2019s official preview for the Preston match confirmed that Trippier and Mosquera will be unavailable for Saturday\u2019s fixture, while Hugo Bueno could return after missing the Blackburn match with a minor injury.<\/p>\n
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Trippier and Mosquera ruled out<\/p>\n
The biggest concern for Peixoto is the loss of experience and defensive stability.<\/p>\n
Trippier arrived at Molineux this summer with a wealth of Premier League and international experience, and he quickly established himself as an important figure within the new-look Wolves squad.<\/p>\n
The former England international started the campaign against Blackburn and had previously spoken about his determination to help Wolves secure an immediate return to the Premier League.<\/p>\n
His absence therefore represents more than simply losing a right-back.<\/p>\n
Trippier’s leadership, experience and ability to deliver from set pieces were expected to be valuable assets during what promises to be a demanding Championship season.<\/p>\n
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Mosquera’s injury is equally significant.<\/p>\n
The Colombian defender had featured prominently during pre-season and started alongside Toti Gomes in the opening league match. Wolves’ official preview confirmed that both defenders are now facing a spell on the sidelines.<\/p>\n
Reports have indicated that Trippier has suffered a knee problem while Mosquera is dealing with an ankle injury, with both expected to be unavailable for several weeks.<\/p>\n
A difficult start for Peixoto’s defence<\/p>\n
The timing could hardly be worse for Peixoto.<\/p>\n
Wolves were promoted back into the Championship after relegation from the Premier League and have made an immediate return to the second tier with expectations of challenging near the top of the table.<\/p>\n
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Their first competitive matches under Peixoto had offered plenty of encouragement.<\/p>\n
Wolves opened the campaign with a convincing 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Port Vale, with goals from Adam Armstrong, Andr\u00e9 and Fer L\u00f3pez.<\/p>\n
They then produced an encouraging first-half performance against Blackburn before eventually drawing 2-2.<\/p>\n
Marshall Munetsi put Wolves ahead before Blackburn turned the match around, with Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez eventually rescuing a point from the penalty spot in stoppage time.<\/p>\n
However, the Blackburn game also exposed some defensive problems that Peixoto will now have to address without two of his starters.<\/p>\n
The manager himself admitted after the draw that Wolves lost some of their organisation during the second half as the players became increasingly desperate to win.<\/p>\n
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That admission makes the latest injuries even more important.<\/p>\n
Who can replace them?<\/p>\n
Peixoto now faces a selection dilemma ahead of the trip to Deepdale.<\/p>\n
The Wolves squad still contains defensive options, including Nasser Djiga, Ladislav Krejci, Santiago Bueno and Toti Gomes.<\/p>\n
Nasser Djiga could be among those considered for a starting role, particularly given the need for a physically strong defender against a Preston side that will look to make the match difficult.<\/p>\n
Football analysts have already highlighted Djiga as a potential replacement following the injuries to Trippier and Mosquera.<\/p>\n
There is also the possibility of Peixoto changing the defensive structure rather than simply replacing the injured players like-for-like.<\/p>\n
That could become an important tactical decision.<\/p>\n
Hugo Bueno provides some positive news<\/p>\n
It is not all bad news for Wolves.<\/p>\n
Hugo Bueno missed the opening Championship match against Blackburn with a minor issue, but the club confirmed that he could return to contention against Preston.<\/p>\n
His potential return would give Peixoto another option on the left side of the defence and could help restore some balance to the back four.<\/p>\n
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Bueno impressed during pre-season, including scoring in Wolves’ 3-0 victory over Racing Santander.<\/p>\n
The defender had also played the full 90 minutes in that match, showing his importance to the new manager’s plans.<\/p>\n
Preston will test Wolves’ new defensive combination<\/p>\n
Saturday’s fixture at Deepdale will be an important examination of Wolves’ defensive depth.<\/p>\n
Preston also began the campaign with mixed results.<\/p>\n
They progressed in the Carabao Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout against Huddersfield Town before losing 2-1 away to Bolton Wanderers in their opening Championship fixture.<\/p>\n
Jusuf Erabi has already emerged as one of their players to watch, having scored twice from the bench across their opening matches.<\/p>\n
That means Peixoto cannot afford defensive uncertainty.<\/p>\n
Preston will be hoping to exploit any lack of understanding between Wolves’ replacement defenders, particularly during set pieces and transitions.<\/p>\n
Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez offers Wolves another boost<\/p>\n
At the opposite end of the pitch, Wolves have reasons for optimism.<\/p>\n
Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez made his emotional return to the club against Blackburn and produced the perfect moment by scoring a stoppage-time penalty.<\/p>\n
It was his first Wolves goal in 1,311 days and immediately reminded supporters why the club brought him back to Molineux.<\/p>\n
Peixoto has already made it clear that the Mexican remains an important player for his plans, although the manager has stressed that Jim\u00e9nez needs time to regain full fitness following his involvement at the World Cup.<\/p>\n
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Whether he starts at Preston remains one of the major questions before kick-off.<\/p>\n
What Wolves fans are saying<\/p>\n
The injuries have understandably created concern among Wolves supporters.<\/p>\n
Trippier had only just arrived at the club and was expected to provide leadership during the promotion campaign. Losing him for several weeks is therefore a major blow.<\/p>\n
The same applies to Mosquera, particularly because Wolves are already adapting to Peixoto’s methods and a new defensive structure.<\/p>\n
Supporters on social media have expressed frustration at seeing two defenders ruled out so early in a 46-game Championship campaign, with many now calling for the club’s defensive depth to be tested properly.<\/p>\n
For Nigerian supporters following Wolves, the situation also adds another layer of interest because of the club’s African connections and the importance of the Championship promotion race to the wider Nigerian football audience.<\/p>\n
The key issue, however, is not the identity of the replacements. It is whether Wolves can maintain defensive consistency while their new players adapt to Peixoto’s system.<\/p>\n
Peixoto must find solutions quickly<\/p>\n
The Portuguese coach has repeatedly spoken about the importance of organisation.<\/p>\n
After the Blackburn draw, he explained that Wolves needed to play with their heads rather than their hearts and maintain their structure for the full 90 minutes.<\/p>\n
That message is now particularly relevant.<\/p>\n
With Trippier and Mosquera unavailable, Peixoto must quickly establish a defensive partnership capable of coping with the physical demands of the Championship.<\/p>\n
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The encouraging factor is that Wolves remain unbeaten in their first two competitive matches of the season.<\/p>\n
They defeated Port Vale 3-0 before drawing 2-2 with Blackburn, meaning there are already positive signs under the new manager.<\/p>\n
But the Championship is a marathon rather than a sprint, and injuries to important players can have a major impact over 46 league matches.<\/p>\n
The bigger picture for Wolves<\/p>\n
Wolves’ objective remains clear: promotion.<\/p>\n
The club’s fixture list confirms that Preston is their first away Championship match of the new campaign, with the trip to Deepdale followed by a home meeting with Stoke City.<\/p>\n
Peixoto will therefore be hoping his squad can demonstrate the depth required to deal with injuries without allowing them to derail the early momentum.<\/p>\n
The immediate priority is Preston.<\/p>\n
Wolves need to remain competitive, avoid another defensive collapse and ideally return to the West Midlands with three points.<\/p>\n
The injuries to Trippier and Mosquera are serious setbacks, but they do not have to become a crisis.<\/p>\n
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If Djiga, Krejci, Santiago Bueno or another defensive option can step up, Wolves may still have enough quality to navigate the difficult period.<\/p>\n
For supporters, the most important development now is clarity over the severity and recovery timelines of both injuries.<\/p>\n
The club has confirmed that the pair will miss Saturday’s Preston clash. What happens next will determine whether this is simply an early-season inconvenience or a problem that begins to threaten Wolves’ promotion ambitions.<\/p>\n
For now, Peixoto’s task is straightforward: find the right defensive solution, keep the team organised and make sure Wolves’ unbeaten start does not turn into a run of frustration.<\/p>\n
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Wolverhampton Wanderers have suffered a significant defensive setback ahead of Saturday\u2019s Championship trip to Preston North End, with Kieran Trippier and Yerson Mosquera both ruled out after picking up injuries against Blackburn Rovers. Wolverhampton Wanderers head into their first away league match of the 2026\/27 Championship campaign with growing concerns over their defensive options after …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wolves"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":129,"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions\/129"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakimisport.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}