Zaidu set to start in FC Porto's official opener three seasons on | OneFootball

Francesco Farioli is expected to go with a starting eleven tonight very similar to the one that faced Aston Villa in the final pre-season test a week ago. Zaidu should be one of the new faces, something that, despite the Nigerian international’s time at FC Porto, had not happened in the dragons’ first official match for the past three seasons.

In recent seasons, competition and a few physical issues kept him away from the battle for a starting spot. Even so, Zaidu never stopped working to win back his place. The injury to Martim Fernandes, whom Francesco Farioli often used on the left flank, together with Francisco Moura’s loss of prominence, led the Italian coach to place his full trust in the Nigerian full-back.

Although he has attracted interest from Premier League clubs in the last three transfer windows, the 29-year-old remains at the Dragão and is still available to help the team. The fact that he is under contract only until June 2027 also does not affect his focus. Alongside Alberto Costa, Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior, Zaidu is expected to start against Torreense, aiming to help win another trophy, which could be his eighth in service of the dragons.

Only the captain has been at the club longer

Signed from Santa Clara in 2020, Zaidu is currently the second longest-serving player in FC Porto’s squad. Ahead of him is only captain Diogo Costa, who became a full member of the senior squad the previous season. The Nigerian has made 154 appearances for the dragons, a figure that could have been even higher were it not for the injury that kept him off the pitch for a long period.

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