Cesar Peixoto says he’ll assess the condition of his players ahead of naming his starting eleven against Portsmouth and hinted at changes once again after Friday’s win at Burnley.
The head coach insisted in the summer that he needed two players for every position, and the reason was clear at Turf Moor, as he made six changes to his starting team, and more off the bench, and the Old Gold secured a valuable away win.
During a three-match week Peixoto fielded the vasty majority of his players, and with the latest test coming against Portsmouth on Tuesday, he’s likely to tweak his side again to bring the fresh energy he hopes will secure back-to-back Championship wins.
On rotating again for Portsmouth
“We have to manage the situation. All the teams had three games last week, but not all of them have another three games this week. Because of that, we have to manage the players’ minutes carefully and avoid taking risks with injuries. We already have a lot of injuries, and we don’t want any more.
“I have to analyse Portsmouth and see how the players recover. Then we’ll try to build a strong team to win at home. That’s important.
“Every game in the Championship is difficult, and we have to select the players who are in the best condition to fight for the three points. I think we’ll make changes, but first we have to see how the players feel physically.”
On coping with the Championship’s schedule
“When I lose, I like to play the next game as soon as possible because I want to win. But we have to manage the situation. That’s why I’ve spoken so many times about wanting two players for every position. I knew the Championship would be very tough.
“If you look at these three games last week, almost all the players played. That’s because I have confidence in them. I always say that, and I do what I say. The players know that.
“I like playing games, but at this moment, with the injuries and players returning from international duty, I also need time to work with them on the training pitch. The team needs to improve certain things, but we don’t have time to do that. So we have to maintain the focus and the right mentality we showed on Friday and keep fighting to win the three points.”
Lopez leveller 🎯 https://t.co/JFPJgrbbzN
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 17, 2026
On Lopez’s influence on this team
“He’s an important player. He’s still not at 100 per cent. You could see in the game that he had some difficulties with his rhythm. We have to be careful because he’s played in all three games. Not 90 minutes in every game, but he’s played in all three. He hasn’t been at 100 per cent since coming back from the international break.
“But he’s getting better, better and better. He still has to improve and get back to the level he showed before. I always want better and better from him, from me and from everybody.”
On the impact off the bench at Burnley
“It’s very important. All the players, whether they’re in the starting eleven or on the bench, have to be ready all the time. They need the right mentality to help the team, come onto the pitch and carry out the tasks we want them to perform.
“That’s the mentality I want from the team, and they know that because I speak with them about it. If we have this kind of mentality, it’s very difficult for other teams to play against us. But we have to maintain it in every game. We have to maintain this mentality all the time.”
