The phrase "a potential setback for" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a situation or event that may hinder progress or success in a particular context.
Example: "The unexpected delay in funding could be a potential setback for the project's timeline."
Alternatives: "a possible obstacle to" or "a likely hindrance for".
Humiliated at the polls, the Irish prime minister, Brian Cowen, admitted the country's no vote had been a potential setback for Europe.
It is also a potential setback for the Bush administration, which has sought to pressure Damascus to halt its support for terrorist activities in the Middle East.
HONG KONG — The Alibaba Group, the e-commerce giant, said Wednesday that it was under investigation by United States securities regulators over its accounting practices, a potential setback for a company long seen as a symbol of China's growing technological might.
WASHINGTON - A spending measure passed by the House on Wednesday to keep the government operating through September requires that the Postal Service maintain a six-day mail delivery schedule, a potential setback for the agency, which announced last month that it planned go to five-day deliveries to cut costs.
NEW YORK TIMES Yahoo Deals eBay a Blow | Yahoo's hiring of Scott Thompson means a potential setback for eBay, whose PayPal unit accounted for about 37 percent of the company's revenue in the third quarter of 2011, The New York Times Bits blog writes.
This time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is warning that a war that began July 8 might continue into September, when Israeli schoolchildren are scheduled to return to classes — a potential setback for Netanyahu and Israeli military leaders, who have made a return to "peace and quiet" their metric for success.
The consortium's problems also represent a potential setback in the search for new ways to finance and pursue journalism at a time when traditional news organizations, and even new digital operations, are seeking workable business models.
To ensure the ongoing security of global telecom networks, the industry, regulators, and governments need to work together on higher common standards for cybersecurity assurance and evaluation". None of which will stop this from being a major potential setback for the company.
Poland and Estonia have the right to challenge limits placed by the European Commission on their carbon emissions, a court said Wednesday, in a potential setback to near-term goals for cutting emissions.
Sweden's immigration authority has rejected a request for residency by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a potential setback in his efforts to gain protection from Swedish press freedom laws.
