West Bromwich Albion right-back crisis looms before Wolves clash

West Bromwich Albion's defensive options are stretched with two right-backs injured ahead of their key Championship derby against Wolves this weekend.

West Bromwich Albion’s strong early season form has hit a significant defensive snag ahead of the Black Country derby. Manager James Morrison is facing a full-blown crisis at right-back, with both Brayann Pereira and Nolan Galves unavailable for the trip to Molineux on Saturday.

Pereira’s debut turned sour when he was sent off in the 34th minute of the recent draw with Queens Park Rangers. His replacement, Nolan Galves, then suffered a serious knee injury in the same match and is now expected to be out for several months. This leaves Morrison with a major selection headache for one of the season’s biggest tests.

Injury woes mount

The defensive issues compound the continued absence of winger Mikey Johnston. The 27-year-old has been sidelined since February with an ankle problem and his recovery timeline has been extended, ruling him out for the foreseeable future. These setbacks threaten to disrupt a promising campaign that has seen West Brom lose just once in the league so far, a 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

Despite the injuries, the team’s resilience has been clear. They followed that loss with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Derby County, their first league victory there since 2003, thanks to a goal from Aune Heggebo. Callum Styles then scored a key equaliser in the 1-1 draw with QPR last Saturday.

The derby challenge

“James Morrison will be hoping his side can take their early season momentum into the lengthy international break against their fierce rivals,” the manager said. The match against Wolves represents a major examination of their promotion credentials. With a recent form line reading two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five, consistency will be key.

The squad’s attacking output has been led by J. Morgan, who tops the club’s scoring charts with three goals this season. Fans can see the full list of contributors on our stats page. All focus now turns to Saturday’s derby, a fixture that will test the depth and character of Morrison’s squad as they look to handle this injury crisis. The full schedule leading up to the international break is available on our fixtures page.