Absences force Rui Borges to repeat failed experiment at Sporting | OneFootball

Sporting ended pre-season with nothing but wins and is now turning full attention to their league opener, scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 pm against Estrela da Amadora. Rui Borges showed promising signs during preparation, but he faces a problem on the left side of the defense.

Maxi Araújo is suspended following his red card in the Portuguese Cup final against Torreense, while Ricardo Mangas has been loaned to Monza. Nuno Santos remains injured with no return date in sight, further limiting the options available on the left flank.

Rodrigo Dias trained with the first team during pre-season, but ended up returning to the B team. With no natural left-back available, everything points to Rui Borges adapting Iván Fresneda for the visit to Reboleira, opening up space for Georgios Vagiannidis on the right.

The Spaniard’s last outing in that position did not leave good memories. On March 11, Fresneda was used on the left due to Maxi Araújo’s suspension and Ricardo Mangas’ injury, in a match where Sporting lost 3-0 away to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

The green-and-whites eventually turned the tie around with a 5-0 win at Alvalade, with the Spaniard back on the right and Maxi Araújo on the opposite flank. Despite that precedent, the lack of alternatives should lead Rui Borges to repeat the adjustment against Estrela da Amadora.

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