Wolves news: Why Marshall Munetsi should deputise for Raul Jimenez as Cesar Peixoto's number nine

With a player in Adam Armstrong who has 92 Championship goals to his name across his career, Wolverhampton Wanderers may have felt that they had suitable backup for the injured Raul Jimenez.

However, two goals across 837 minutes of football in 2026-27 - as well as squandering the chance that ultimately cost Wolves against Bolton on Tuesday night - has emphasised that the 29-year-old is not the centre-forward that Cesar Peixoto needs to keep Wolves in a promotion hunt.

The hope is that Jimenez will soon return from a knee issue. However, the fact that Jimenez did not play more than 79 minutes in a single game prior to his injury emphasises that the veteran is not viewed as someone who will - or can - complete 90 minutes on a regular basis.

With Peixoto seemingly not prepared to place faith in Newcastle United loanee Sean Neave and Bertrand Traore not close to being match-fit, it has left Peixoto in a concerning position with regards to his number nine.

Marshall Munetsi is someone who is never going to win over the entire Wolves' fanbase, but even his biggest critics will accept that he was missed in the engine room against Bolton. It was the first time that he had started a Championship fixture on the substitutes' bench.

Why Munetsi should replace Armstrong as Wolves number nine against Burnley

One of Peixoto's biggest dilemmas is how to get Munetsi, Jordan James and Fer Lopez into the same team. They all bring attributes to the table that can only benefit Wolves during a 46-game Championship season, but Andre's seniority as chief defensive-midfielder has meant that only two out of the aforementioned trio have been selected at one time.

Given how many negatives you could pull from the Bolton game, now is the time for Peixoto to try something different. Selecting Munetsi as a centre-forward would only increase the scrutiny of the Portuguese, but that does not necessarily mean that the decision would not be justified.

Munetsi attracts criticism for his work with the ball and missed chances, yet Wolves become a weaker side without his energy and physicality. The Zimbabwe star is also not appreciated for his instinctiveness and timing.

His two goals this season - against Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United - have both come from breaching the defensive line with well-timed runs and producing superbly-taken finishes with minimal thought.

A justified argument can be made for Munetsi producing his best moments in a Wolves shirt when he has not had much time to think. That should not be viewed as a negative, however. It is something that Wolves lacked against Bolton.

Because Armstrong brings no height to the forward line, they lack the ability to go direct. So often versus Bolton, it was one paced as Wolves' creative players waited for an opening. When Armstrong did get THAT chance, he fluffed his lines like a player who is struggling for confidence.

Munetsi no stranger to playing centre-forward for Wolves

If Peixoto does turn to Munetsi to play as a centre-forward, it would not be his first time in that position for Wolves.

In his second-ever Premier League game in February 2025, he started in a 1-0 win at Bournemouth - a game in which he provided the assist for the winner - and kept his place for a 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham.

That came in a 3-4-2-1 formation under Vitor Pereira, with Matheus Cunha and Jean-Ricner Bellegrade playing behind him.

Armstrong can benefit greatly by being taken out of the firing line. He has put together an uninspiring record of four goals from 28 appearances since arriving from Southampton in January, and Peixoto needs to find a way to get the best out of a player who was specifically signed to help Wolves to an immediate return to the Premier League.

The Wolves board is at fault for failing to sign suitable backup for Jimenez, but it is now down to Peixoto to find a solution for the club's remaining 15 matches of 2026.

Munetsi should only be viewed as a stop-gap, but he could prove to be an effective one.

When Jimenez is not available, he is the most suitable alternative to offer a physical presence, stretch the play and press defenders. The former Paris FC loanee brings things to the table that Armstrong and Neave cannot, and it would create more space for the likes of Lopez and James - even Armstrong - to work more effectively.

Whoever Peixoto selects as his number nine against Burnley, he knows it is a risk, but that is the position that he finds himself in. Whether that is his own fault is open to interpretation.

Wolves fans would rather see Peixoto accept that Armstrong is not the solution as Jimenez's deputy. Even with the Mexican available for the first two of a five-game period, Wolves have only scored three goals.

If Peixoto picks Armstrong at Turf Moor and Wolves lose, he will quickly lose the backing of the club's fanbase.