Default variation image loads late and defeats LCP preload

Hello,

We are seeing an LCP problem on a standard WooCommerce variable product using WoodMart 8.6.4.

Environment:
– WoodMart 8.6.4
– WordPress 7.1.3
– PHP 8.5.11
– max_input_vars 10000
– Cloudflare WordPress plugin 4.14.5 with APO enabled
– WoodMart Preload LCP Image enabled
– WoodMart and LiteSpeed image lazy loading disabled
– Disable native WordPress lazy loading set to Off
– No custom product-gallery template override

The product uses a normal WooCommerce configuration: a featured image, variation-specific images, and complete default product attributes.

Actual behavior:
The server-rendered gallery initially uses Bone-to-be-free-600×1068.png and marks it fetchpriority=high. After variation JavaScript initializes, the primary gallery image changes to 12495446681519561191_v2_2048_custom-1536×1536.jpeg. The replacement image becomes the actual LCP element, but it is discovered and requested late.

The variation image URL exists in the variation data in the HTML, but it is not rendered as the initial primary gallery image. Even with Preload LCP Image enabled, the page produces no an HTML image preload link (rel=preload, as=image) for either image.

Repeated throttled cold-mobile traces produced LCP around 8.7-8.9 seconds. The final image request was discovered roughly 6.5 seconds after navigation.

Verification completed:
– Updated WoodMart to 8.6.4
– Corrected max_input_vars to 10000
– Re-saved the LCP setting afterward
– Purged the exact product URL in Cloudflare
– Tested a freshly generated origin response
– Confirmed the initial image still differs from the image displayed after default-variation initialization

Expected behavior:
For a variable product with complete default attributes and a valid default-variation image, we expect the default variation image to be server-rendered as the initial gallery image, or for WoodMart to preload the image its variation script will immediately display.

Questions:
1. Should WoodMart 8.6.4 server-render the configured default variation image as the initial gallery image?
2. Is this related to the native WooCommerce Variation Gallery support added in WoodMart 8.6?
3. Should Preload LCP Image generate an image preload on single-product pages?
4. Is there an official setting, patch, filter, or supported hook for this behavior?
5. Can it be corrected while preserving variation switching, thumbnails, zoom, responsive srcset, and standard WooCommerce fallback behavior?

We would prefer a theme-level fix or supported hook rather than a product-specific workaround or direct template override.

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