Adam Armstrong will not travel to Turf Moor on Friday after Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Cesar Peixoto confirmed the striker has picked up a back injury, ruling him out of the Championship fixture against Burnley.

The news compounds an already difficult situation for Peixoto in attack. Armstrong, 29, had been leading the line as first choice in the absence of Raul Jimenez, who suffered a knee injury that will keep him sidelined until January. Armstrong has scored once in the league this season, but his presence gave Wolves a reference point up front. Without him, that option disappears entirely for the trip north.

"Adam has a problem in the back and is not going to play," Peixoto told BBC Radio WM. "We think he might be ready to play in the next game against Portsmouth on Tuesday."

With both senior strikers unavailable, Peixoto faces a decision that could shape how Wolves set up at Turf Moor. Teenagers Sean Neave and Mateus Mane are the most likely candidates to fill the void, though neither has significant Championship experience at this stage of their development.

Wolves arrive at Burnley under pressure

The timing is particularly uncomfortable. Wolves arrive in Lancashire having lost back-to-back league fixtures against Middlesbrough and Bolton, results that have dropped them to tenth in the table. Three points against Burnley would arrest that slide and keep them within reach of the top six; another defeat would deepen the concern around Peixoto's early tenure in charge.

Burnley, meanwhile, will take confidence from their recent form. Scott Twine's side routed Watford 4-0 in their last outing and will see this as an opportunity to cement their position near the top end of the second-tier table on home soil.

Peixoto calls for squad depth

The Wolves head coach did not attempt to disguise the scale of the problem. "It's a big punch to us," he said. His response, however, was characteristically pragmatic: the manager used the moment to make a broader point about the demands of a Championship campaign and the need for two players competing for every position.

"The Championship is like that," Peixoto said. "We have to manage the minutes and because of that I want two players per position to rotate the team."

Those words outline a problem Wolves have not yet solved. In the striking positions, depth simply does not exist at senior level right now. Whether Neave or Mane can step in and affect a game of this magnitude remains to be seen, but one of them will almost certainly start at Turf Moor.

The Friday night fixture, played under lights in front of a typically vocal Burnley crowd, will test not just Wolves' tactical flexibility but their character following a run that has drained some of the optimism surrounding the club's push for promotion this season.

Frequently asked

Why is Adam Armstrong missing the Burnley vs Wolves game?
Adam Armstrong has a back injury and has been ruled out of Wolves' Championship trip to Burnley on Friday, according to manager Cesar Peixoto.
Who will replace Adam Armstrong up front for Wolves against Burnley?
With Armstrong out and Raul Jimenez still recovering from a knee injury, teenage strikers Sean Neave and Mateus Mane are the most likely options to start up front for Wolves at Turf Moor.
When will Adam Armstrong be fit again for Wolves?
Peixoto indicated that Armstrong could be available for Wolves' next fixture against Portsmouth on Tuesday, suggesting the back injury is not expected to keep him out for long.