Fulham manager Marco Silva has stated that the changes made to the team’s lineup in yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Wolves was to manage the player’s workload.
The Portuguese coach rested five key players ahead of the midweek match including Super Eagles duo of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, who have been key to the team’s rise this season.
United States defender Antonee Robinson, Emile Smith-Rowe and Raul Jimenez also started the game on the bench, as Silva opted to give his key players a bit of rest ahead of the season’s run-in.
“We knew that we were going to need some fresh legs inside”, he said after the game.
“The last game for us on Saturday was a difficult one, performance-wise was not the best, and I knew that coming here the game was going to demand from us some fresh legs inside.
Some players that we decided wouldn’t start the game, like Alex Iwobi, Robinson, Calvin, for example, they are the players with more minutes in our team”, Silva continued.
Goals from Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Muniz set the Cottagers on their way to victory, before former Arsenal midfielder Iwobi came on in the 67th minute while Bassey was brought into the mix in the 76th minute as Silva opted to protect his lead.
“It’s not easy when you change five players, when you are playing at the level we are playing in the Premier League.
Not starting with Alex, Willian is not ready to start a game yet from a physical point of view, and we don’t have other wingers, that is the reality, we don’t have solutions. And that was the first reason we changed the formation”, the Fulham boss added.
Shina Oludare is a distinguished sports journalist and managing editor, renowned for his comprehensive coverage of African football. His dedication to elevating African sports on the global stage has earned him widespread respect, along with numerous accolades for his contributions. A graduate of the LaLiga Business School in Madrid, Oludare’s passion for sports and his influential work in African football journalism have established him as a leading figure in the industry.
