Leeds United head to Molineux for a mammoth early Premier League meeting on Saturday.
Wolves could be without star striker Jorgen Strand Larsen when they face Leeds United this weekend - with manager Vitor Pereira urging patience in his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury.
Strand Larsen missed his side’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United on Saturday, having also missed a 3-2 defeat at home to Everton before the September international break. Speaking last week, Pereira admitted the issue was ‘more serious’ than expected and was unable to provide a timeline for the Norwegian’s recovery.
Wolves fell to their fourth defeat in as many games on Saturday and despite creating plenty against Newcastle, lacked the finishing touch a striker like Strand Larsen could provide. Last season, the 25-year-old scored 14 goals in 35 Premier League appearances and has been a big miss either side of the September break.
Speaking after Saturday’s defeat, Pereira provided a brief update on Strand Larsen. As quoted by Express and Star reporter Nathan Judah on X, he said: “Day by day, it's his Achilles tendon, we cannot push - we need to be patient.”
Strand Larsen was the subject of transfer interest from Wolves’ weekend hosts, Newcastle, and reportedly expressed a desire to leave Molineux, albeit without adopting similar tactics to the likes of Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa. The Magpies saw two bids rejected for the striker, the latter of which was worth a whopping £55million.
Leeds United and Wolves both struggling for goals
Like Leeds, effectiveness in front of goal has been an early-season worry for Wolves and like Leeds, they have only managed to find the net against Everton. Pereira’s side have struggled to create chances and those rare openings have not been capitalised upon, with zero points from four games leaving them bottom of the Premier League.
Those goals against Everton actually came in a game without Strand Larsen, who is yet to open his account for the 2026 Premier League campaign. Wolves signed Genk striker Tolu Arokodare in a £24m deal over the summer and the Nigerian international has slotted in at No.9 in recent weeks.
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Arokodare will give the Leeds defenders a similar challenge physically, standing at 6ft 6ins, and looked sharp at Newcastle on Saturday, albeit without finding that all-important goal. The big-money striker was also short of service and for large parts kept quiet by Newcastle.
Saturday’s meeting between Wolves and Leeds is already looking like a massive one, with both currently in the Premier League’s bottom six and both struggling for goals. Daniel Farke’s side will be desperate to bounce back from a crushing 1-0 defeat at Fulham over the weekend, with Gabriel Gudmundsson heading into his own net deep into added-time.
Leeds are still yet to score from open play but will hope a trip to Wolves can provide that opportunity, with Pereira’s side the first genuine relegation rivals they will face this season. The Whites have been competitive for the most part - a 5-0 drubbing at Arsenal excluded - but need to find their cutting edge in the final third.
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