‘The moment’: Wolves’ striker crisis opens door for teenage Newcastle United loanee

Wolves have been dealt two major blows in attack, but in turn this opens the door for teenage forward Sean Neave.

The Old Gold will travel to Burnley without Raul Jimenez, who requires surgery on a knee injury, or Adam Armstrong, who has been ruled out with a back problem.

Their absences compound Wolves’ struggles in front of goal, with a lack of cutting edge proving costly since the international break.

But with opportunity comes responsibility, and Newcastle United loanee Neave is set to be thrust into a more prominent role.

The teenager has played just 18 minutes across four substitute appearances in the Championship this season. That figure, however, could soon rise considerably.

Asked whether the injuries had opened the door for Neave, head coach Cesar Peixoto said: “Yes, he’s the player we have in this position.

“He’s a player who is not ready to play a lot of minutes, I have to be clear about that.

“But because he came as the third option, we have Raul, we have Adam, two experienced players. We bring young players to grow up and play some minutes in some games, football is like that.

“Raul is injured, Adam has a problem in his back, so it’s the moment for Sean.

“He has to show character and show his quality. Try to work for the team and try to do his best.

“We have confidence in him. I think he needs more time to stay ready for this kind of pressure, but he has the team to back him.

“He has my confidence. For sure he’s going to fight to do his best.”

Wolves will also be without Rodrigo Gomes, Bertrand Traore, Boubacar Traore and Yerson Mosquera at Turf Moor.

Mosquera has returned to training but is still experiencing some pain and will need time before he is ready to return, Peixoto confirmed.

With his options increasingly limited, the Wolves boss believes his younger players must be prepared to seize their opportunities.

He added: “I talk all the time with the players. I have a good relationship with the players.

“Mane is 19, Fer is 22, Djiga is 23 - a lot of young players I put to play a lot of minutes, and they play well.

“I think Sean needs more time than these players, but we talk, the teammates like him, the way he trains, his personality is important for us also.

“For sure, I’m going to bring confidence to him. I know he’s not going to be perfect for this game, for sure. It’s not the same if you have Raul or Adam.

“But we believe in him. We have to help him to improve and to fight and to try to do his best in the moment.”

Wolves head to Turf Moor looking to arrest a troubled return from the international break. They face a Burnley side who were relegated alongside them from the Premier League last season but are beginning to find their feet back in the Championship.

Nicky Hayen’s side have gone three matches unbeaten, including an emphatic 4-0 victory over Watford last Saturday, and Peixoto expects a stern examination.

“They have good players, a good idea of the game,” Peixoto added. “It’s going to be a tough game for us.

“Burnley didn’t start well, but I think in the long term, they will go higher in the Championship, because they have quality.”