Silva explains Iwobi, Bassey bench decision due to fatigue
Fulham manager Marco Silva has explained his decision to start Super Eagles duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey on the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers was due to concerns over fatigue management, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.
The Nigeria internationals, who have been regular starters for the Cottagers this season, were surprisingly named among the substitutes for Tuesday night’s Premier League clash at Molineux Stadium, where Fulham secured a narrow 2-1 victory.
Speaking to Fulham’s official website after the match, Silva revealed that the decision was part of his strategy to introduce fresh legs following their disappointing performance in their previous fixture.
“We knew that we were going to need some fresh legs inside,” Silva said.
“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.”
The Portuguese tactician acknowledged the difficulty in making five changes to his starting lineup for a Premier League match but explained that injury concerns had also influenced his tactical approach.
“It’s not easy when you change five players when you are playing at the level we are playing in the Premier League,” he added.
“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.”
Despite their absence from the starting lineup, Fulham still managed to secure all three points at Molineux, boosting their position in the Premier League table as they continue their pursuit of European qualification.
Iwobi has been one of Fulham’s standout performers this season, while Bassey has established himself as a key figure in the Cottagers’ defence after joining from Ajax.
