Fulham boss explains why Super Eagles duo Iwobi, Bassey started on the bench in win v Wolves

Fulham manager Marco Silva has explained the rationale behind his decision to start Super Eagles duo, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey on the bench in his side's 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Premier League encounter at the Molineux Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Hale End Academy product had been ever-present in Fulham's Premier League starting lineup before their visit to Wolves, whereas his international teammate, Bassey, had started 25 times and was absent only for the 2-2 draw with Liverpool in December due to accumulated yellow cards.

Silva made five changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace, with Iwobi, Bassey, Antonee Robinson, Raúl Jiménez and Emile Smith Rowe making way for Andeas Pereira, Jorge Cuenca, Issa Diop, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Muniz.

With Fulham aiming to protect their 2-1 lead and add more creativity, Silva brought on Iwobi and Bassey in the 67th and 76th minute respectively.

Portuguese football tactician, Silva revealed that the two Nigerian players were named on the bench to manage their workload, having already started several games in the 2024-2025 campaign.

Speaking to Fulham's official website post-match, he explained: "We knew that we were going to need some fresh legs inside. 

"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.

"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."

Ryan Sessegnon broke the deadlock inside the opening minute but Wolves responded through João Gomes at minute 18, before Rodrigo Muniz scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 47th minute.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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