Rui Borges reveals three selection doubts for Sporting-Torreense | OneFootball

Rui Borges issued a serious warning to Sporting this Friday ahead of the Portuguese Cup final against Torreense. In an interview with Sport TV, the Sporting coach rejected any idea of easy favoritism and stressed the difficulties the green-and-whites may face at Jamor.

“I came through the lower divisions, and I know very well what it means to dream of playing in a Portuguese Cup final against a big team,” the 44-year-old coach began, before recalling the difficulties Sporting faced against Paços de Ferreira in the competition this season.

“We had major difficulties and won in extra time. We’re going to play against a team that is in the Primeira Liga playoff, which also says a lot about their individual and collective quality,” Rui Borges added, highlighting the competitive growth of the Torres Vedras side.

The Sporting coach was keen to stress that the team cannot go into the match relaxed just because they are facing lower-division opposition. “We cannot, under any circumstances, go in thinking it is already won or that, because we are facing a team from a lower division, we would have an advantage. That’s not how I see it,” he warned.

Rui Borges also made it clear that he expects maximum seriousness and intensity from his team. “What I focus on is being as serious and intense as we want to be, from the first minute to the last, so that we can overcome a great Torreense side,” he concluded.

On the injury front, the coach confirmed that Zeno Debast and João Simões are out of the final due to injury. Georgios Vagiannidis, Morten Hjulmand and Fotis Ioannidis remain doubts, although the coach believes they may recover in time.

“They are players we are always trying to manage in some way, because they are not fully at 100%. I believe Morten and Vagiannidis could be available for the final. Fotis could be too. It is purely our decision, a structural one, between the coaching staff and the player, whether it will be worth taking him to the Cup final or not,” Rui Borges explained.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.