Cesar Peixoto: Wolves injuries are down to bad luck - and the numbers prove it

The head coach came to a press conference on Friday armed with the statistics to back-up his point after Ghislain Konan became the latest player to suffer a knee injury.

Konan is facing around two months out after damaging his medial collateral ligament (MCL) in a training pitch collision with goalkeeper Jose Sa.

The left-back is the fourth player to sustain an MCL injury this season, with the news prompting some social media speculation among supporters concerning the club’s training regime under Peixoto.

That had clearly been noticed by the Portuguese, who came prepared for his latest meeting with the media with the numbers intended to disprove such a theory.

“In terms of injuries I want to say that muscular injuries, we have only three,” said Peixoto, who had with him a piece of paper detailing each injury the club has suffered this season.

“The other eight we have had are traumatic injuries.

“It is different, something we cannot control. Sometimes football has contact.

“It is not from the way they are training, or that we are not managing them well.

“I think only three muscular injuries to this stage is fantastic but we have been unlucky with traumatic injuries.”

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who picked up a hamstring injury shortly after his return from the World Cup and Boubacar and Bertrand Traore are the three players to have suffered muscle injuries since Peixoto arrived at the club.

“The other injuries we have are traumatic,” said the boss. “Raul in the knee, Rafiki in the knee, Yerson in the foot, Konan in the knee, Trippier in the knee.

“There is not a pattern of injuries because we are doing bad work.

“We try to control all the things but we don’t control in training when Josa Sa goes to the ball, and goes above Konan, we don’t control this.

“We try to control and try to analyse. Because of that we have only three injuries which are muscular because we try and manage in the best way possible.

“These (traumatic) injuries are difficult. Football in England has more contact and the Championship more than other divisions.

“It is difficult to control these kind of situations. I think sometimes it is unlucky.

“These kind of things in games and training can happen, not because we aren’t managing the team.”

Peixoto, who was speaking ahead of Saturday’s Championship clash with Cardiff, has been boosted by the return of Fer Lopez to full fitness following a calf niggle. Defender Nasser Djiga remains sidelined with a groin issue but could return next week.

Rodrigo Gomes is also back in the squad after an ankle injury, boosting Wolves’ options on the flanks.

“We have two players per position but if you look at the wingers, since the start we don’t have any moment the four wingers,” said Peixoto.

“We have a lot of injuries there and it is not the same. Not just the starting XI but from the bench. If you don’t have the squad, it is difficult to change things. You can do better if you have more solutions.”