Cesar Peixoto must give Wolves outcast one last chance against Sheffield United - it's make or break | OneFootball

Cesar Peixoto should start Pedro Lima against Sheffield United after Jackson Tchatchoua's horror display for Wolves against Birmingham City.

Wolves have had a mixed start to the Championship season, having picked up eight points from their opening five games.

That was probably always on the cards, as it was a hectic transfer window, with constant speculation surrounding a host of Cesar Peixoto’s players going right up to the deadline.

So, the Portuguese head coach will be relieved that he now knows the squad he is working with moving forward, and he will have learned a lot from the first month of the campaign.

Unfortunately, it won’t all be positive for Peixoto, and it was apparent in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Birmingham City that right-back is a problem position for the boss right now.

Jackson Tchatchoua endured nightmare performance against Birmingham City

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That’s because Jackson Tchatchoua had an afternoon to forget at St. Andrew’s, where he scored a comical own goal to gift Blues a point.

It was a mistake that was difficult to comprehend, and it continues what has been an underwhelming career for the Cameroon international at Molineux after he struggled, along with his teammates, last season.

It wasn’t just the own goal that made Tchatchoua stand out for the wrong reasons though, as he was simply not good enough in various aspects of the game.

Despite boasting exceptional pace, he allowed Liam Millar to skip past him on multiple occasions, and he was remarkably wasteful in possession, which included running the ball out of play when Wolves were in a great position on the break.

Of course, Tchatchoua will know he underperformed, and this isn’t a case of kicking him when he’s down, but the reality is his display has left Peixoto with a big decision to make in Kieran Trippier’s continued absence.

Right-back is a problem position for Wolves right now

The signing of Trippier was seen as a real coup for Wolves, and, when fit, he will be one of the first names in the XI.

But, at 35, he was never going to play 90 minutes every game, and he is currently out with a knee issue that means he is highly likely to miss the trip to Sheffield United on Sunday, and potentially the Black Country derby a week later.

So, with Tchatchoua’s confidence certain to be impacted after that horror show, Peixoto has a decision to make.

Yerson Mosquera may have been an option having featured at right-back for Villarreal earlier in his career, but he is out injured, whilst dropping winger Rodrigo Gomes to full-back may not be the best idea for a team that is already conceding goals at an alarming rate.

Moving either left-back Hugo Bueno or Ghislain Konan to the opposite flank would disrupt the balance of the team, so the obvious solution would be to give Pedro Lima a chance.

Pedro Lima deserves an opportunity against Sheffield United

The Brazilian was very highly-rated when he joined Wolves in 2024, but his career hasn’t kicked on in the way that many expected.

There have been some decent showings from the 20-year-old, who is a capable crosser, but it speaks volumes that Peixoto is the latest manager who hasn’t really found a place for Lima.

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Nevertheless, as the only available, natural right-back aside from Tchatchoua, he should be given a chance to impress at Bramall Lane.

As outlined above, it’s not like Wolves look secure without Lima, and Peixoto must show that there are consequences for performances like Tchatchoua’s last time out.

It could be Pedro Lima’s last chance to save Wolves career

If Lima is in the XI for the game against the Blades, it’s no exaggeration to say it could be his last big chance to save his career.

When Trippier is available, he will play, but the role as his backup should be up for grabs considering Tchatchoua’s struggles.

Lima obviously hasn’t done enough to force his way into Peixoto’s plans in pre-season, but it’s worth remembering that he is still very young, and this is a player that Wolves paid £8.5m for, and they beat Chelsea to his signature, so they clearly thought he had a lot of talent!

It will be a huge frustration for the Brazil U20 international that he hasn’t had a consistent run in the team, and he will feel like something of a forgotten man at Molineux having failed to make the squad last time out.

But, Tchatchoua’s performance against Birmingham could give him an unexpected opportunity, and if Lima can take it against Sheffield United, and then West Brom before the international break, then he could force a rethink and become a more important part of things at Wolves under Peixoto.