Vitor Pereira is hoping his Wolves squad returns from international duty in good shape – but one senior player endured a night to forget on Tuesday.

Wolves have endured a miserable start to the 2025/26 Premier League season, losing their opening three fixtures. Falling to Manchester City wasn’t a major surprise, but defeats to Bournemouth and Everton have only deepened the unease around Molineux. With recruitment over the summer widely considered underwhelming, the pressure is already mounting on Pereira and his team.

For Wolves to steady the ship, their more experienced figures will need to take responsibility. Matt Doherty falls firmly into that bracket, but his most recent outing with the Republic of Ireland did little to inspire confidence.

The 33-year-old has been one of Pereira’s trusted players since the Portuguese coach arrived, frequently deployed on the right side of a defensive three. That role has generally suited him – but when asked to operate at left-back for Ireland in their 2-2 draw with Hungary, Doherty struggled badly.

Irish media were unanimous in their criticism. The Irish Times labelled it a “nightmare evening,” while RTE described it as “a difficult night at the office.” Balls.ie and SportsJoe echoed the sentiment, highlighting his involvement in both Hungarian goals and questioning whether he should be considered an international left-back at all.

The poor display raises questions about Doherty’s place back at Wolves. His versatility has been an asset in the past, but with Pereira now having options such as Yerson Mosquera, new signing Ladislav Krejci, Emmanuel Agbadou, and Santiago Bueno, competition for places is intensifying.

Doherty has been a loyal servant and reliable presence since Pereira’s arrival, but his latest setback suggests he may need to raise his level again if he wants to remain a first-choice starter in Wolverhampton.