Cesar Peixoto Backs Full Training Week to Improve Wolves for Cardiff 2026

Key Points

• According to the head coach of Wolverhampton Wanderers Cesar Peixoto, a full week’s training will ensure that Wolves perform much better on Saturday when Cardiff City comes calling.
• Peixoto adds that from the international break, Wolverhampton has been having more video calls compared to actual training on the field.
• This is because the three weeks of international break dampened their spirit, leaving only six players in Compton Park during that period.
• Wolves have had two games in a week after they emerged from the international break, making it difficult for the team to train.
• According to Peixoto, he is hopeful that Fer Lopez and Nasser Djiga will be ready for the Cardiff match after recovering from their injuries.
• In their most recent Championship game, Wolverhampton Wanderers managed to beat Watford 1-0 thanks to Adam Armstrong who scored after his back injury. Some of the supporters of the Wolves booed Peixoto in that game even though he said he understood their frustrations and assured that he would try his best to regain their confidence.
• Wolves hope to make it four matches unbeaten in their next game against Cardiff.

Cardiff (Wales Times) October 28, 2026 — Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto believes a rare uninterrupted week of preparation will help his side deliver a stronger display when uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff City travel to Molineux in the Championship on Saturday.

As reported by the Express & Star, Peixoto said valuable time on the training ground would ensure supporters see an improved Wolves team against Cardiff. He argued that the squad has been unable to train properly since the international break because matches have followed one another at a demanding pace.

“I don’t like to talk about it because it feels like an excuse,” Peixoto said, as quoted by the Express & Star. “But it is the truth. If you stay three weeks with only six players, how are you going to train?”

The Wolves manager said the extended three-week international break had disrupted momentum, with a large part of his squad away from Compton Park. Since their return, Wolves have played twice a week, leaving the coaching staff focused largely on recovery rather than detailed work on the training pitch.

Why Does Peixoto Believe Wolves Need More Training Time?

Peixoto said Wolves had spent more time in meetings, discussing tactics and reviewing video, than working on the grass. He said the team had been operating in a cycle of playing, recovering, playing and recovering again.

“When we have a long week we are going to improve the team for sure. I don’t have any doubts about that,” Peixoto said, according to the Express & Star.

“The players have more time to recover. I look to the results with some of the issues we have because all we have been doing is play, recover, play, recover.”

He added:

“We train more in meetings with talk and videos than on the pitch. That is what I think of our moment but it is what it is, we have to fight to find solutions.”

Wolves’ official website also highlighted the importance of the current week. It reported that, after matches twice a week since the return from the international break, Peixoto had a rare midweek without a fixture to put his players through work on the Compton Park pitches.

Which Wolves Players Could Return Against Cardiff?

Peixoto is hopeful that Fer Lopez and Nasser Djiga will both be available for the weekend after missing Wolves’ win over Watford through injury.

“It is what we need in this moment, to recover injured players, to ensure players are fresh to play and to put our idea of the training session onto the pitch to improve the team,” Peixoto said, as reported by the Express & Star.

The club’s official match preview said the week had also allowed players such as Fer Lopez to work towards fitness after missing the Watford game. Wolves are seeking to extend their unbeaten run to four matches when they face Cardiff.

How Did Wolves Perform Against Watford?

Wolves entered the Cardiff fixture after a 1-0 Championship victory over Watford at Molineux on Saturday, October 24. Adam Armstrong scored on his return from a back injury, in what was his second Championship goal of the season and his 450th English Football League appearance.

As reported by The Irish News, Peixoto said after the Watford match that he understood why some supporters had expressed frustration, but insisted that continued results would change the atmosphere at Molineux.

“If we continue to win and continue to score then things are going to change, for sure,” Peixoto said. “I understand the people and they have the freedom to do what they think, but if we had scored two or three goals, it would have been totally different.”

He added: “We are going to work hard so our supporters are happy with us. I understand the supporters. We are going to work hard to make them happy with our play, with our results. It is our task in the club.”

The Express & Star reported that Peixoto was booed by some sections of the crowd during the Watford win, despite Wolves taking all three points. The newspaper’s Wolves briefing described the Cardiff match as one in which the head coach would be under additional scrutiny following that negative reaction.

What Has Shaped Wolves’ Recent Form?

Wolves’ recent schedule has been congested. The Express & Star reported that a three-week international break was followed by five matches in a fortnight, giving Peixoto and his players their first extended opportunity to assess the season and train without an immediate fixture.

Peixoto had previously said Wolves needed to improve their mobility and creativity after a 1-1 home draw with Portsmouth on October 20. In comments published by Wolves’ official website, he said his side played too slowly in the first half and did not find enough space against Portsmouth’s deep defensive block.

“We needed more mobility and creativity on the ball,” Peixoto said.

“We needed to speed up the game at the right moments and create space in behind. I don’t think we did that well enough in the first half.”

Earlier in October, Wolves lost 1-0 away to Middlesbrough and then fell to Bolton Wanderers at Molineux. After the Bolton defeat, Peixoto accepted responsibility for the result and said Wolves needed to be more clinical inside the opposition box.

“We were the better team, but we didn’t start well,”

Peixoto said after the Bolton match, according to Wolves’ official website. “Inside the box, we have to attack the ball and try to score. But like I said, I’m the man responsible.”

What Is at Stake Against Cardiff?

Wolves will host Cardiff City at Molineux on Saturday in a Championship fixture. The club’s official website confirmed the match details and said the squad had a full week to prepare, while also giving injured players time to regain fitness.

Peixoto said the extended preparation period was essential for implementing his ideas on the pitch. “We need this time,” he said, according to the Express & Star. “We had three weeks of the international break and it has been five weeks without training with all the team.”

The Wolves manager also reiterated his ambition to improve the team’s relationship with supporters. “I want to get the supporters behind us again,” he told The Irish News after the Watford game. “It is important for us.”

Background of the Development

Peixoto’s comments follow a demanding period for Wolves. The international break removed much of the first-team squad from Compton Park for three weeks, and the subsequent fixture schedule left little opportunity for collective training sessions.

Wolves’ recent results have been mixed: a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on October 10, a home defeat to Bolton on October 13, a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth on October 20, and a 1-0 home win over Watford on October 24.

Injuries have also affected squad availability. Peixoto had previously said that Raul Jimenez was ruled out until January, while Adam Armstrong and Kieran Trippier were being assessed ahead of the Watford match. Armstrong subsequently returned to score against Watford.

The Cardiff match therefore represents an opportunity for Wolves to combine a rare full training week with the return of players from injury, while attempting to build on their most recent victory.

Prediction: How Can This Affect Wolves Supporters?

For Wolves supporters, the immediate impact of this development will depend on whether Peixoto’s side show clearer attacking movement, greater creativity and improved finishing against Cardiff. A stronger performance could help ease frustration among sections of the Molineux crowd, particularly after the mixed reaction during the Watford win.

If Fer Lopez and Nasser Djiga return and the squad benefits from a full week of training, Wolves may have more options and better physical freshness. That could support Peixoto’s aim of extending the unbeaten run to four matches and strengthening the team’s Championship position.

For supporters, the Cardiff fixture offers a practical test of Peixoto’s claim that additional training time will translate into visible improvement. A convincing home display would give the head coach evidence to support his argument, while another slow or inconsistent performance is likely to keep attention on Wolves’ inability to convert possession and chances into goals.