Perth Wildcats guard Elijah Pepper in doubt for Brisbane Bullets game after injuring ankle at training

Perth’s dreams of having their full roster available for the first time this season received a setback on Monday when guard Elijah Pepper injured his ankle during training.

The Wildcats were hoping to enter Wednesday night’s Ignite Cup game against Brisbane at RAC Arena with a full squad given Sunday Dech has been training strongly after injuring his calf during the pre-season. But Pepper’s injury late in the session now has question marks hanging over him.

While it didn’t appear serious, Pepper received immediate treatment after limping from the court and watched the rest of the session with ice on his ankle. All eyes will be on Tuesday’s session to see if he recovers in time to prove his fitness for Wednesday’s match.

Captain Jesse Wagstaff made a quick recovery from a fractured larynx at training last week to play against Cairns on Friday. He believes the Wildcats are still well placed given the challenges many teams, including Brisbane, are facing. The Bullets will be without Mitch Norton and Sam McDaniel.

“If you take a snapshot across the league, we are probably the least impacted by injuries, or we’re up there,” Wagstaff said.

“There’s been some teams that have already been ravaged by injury. Comparatively we’re pretty lucky. It’s a testament to the strength and conditioning and physio. There’s always injuries in professional sports. We’ve largely been pretty lucky.”

Dech’s expected return will add to the Wildcats’ defensive strength. Perth are conceding an average of only 77.5 points per game which is the best in the NBL and Dech is known for his ability to lock down on opposition scorers.

The 31-year-old started his NBL career at the Wildcats and was part of two championship squads. He then played for both Illawarra and Adelaide where he built his reputation as a tenacious guard.

Perth were so determined to get him back to the club that they offered him a three-year contract. Wagstaff said he was ready to have a big impact.

“Listening to the court when he’s on it, he brings a great voice. To be able to get after it defensively, bring that voice and lead like that is huge,” Wagstaff said.

“I still see him as quite young, but he’s been around the traps for a while and is quite experienced now. That experience is a great asset.

“He’s also talented offensively. I don’t think people give him credit enough for that. He’ll slot in really well. He moves the ball well and finds guys. He’s a big piece.”