Aursnes left out of Benfica's squad for St Gallen; find out why | OneFootball

Benfica sprung a surprise on the team sheet for the match against St. Gallen, with Fredrik Aursnes left out of Marco Silva’s options for the decisive second leg of the Europa League second qualifying round. The Norway international had been tipped to return, but ended up missing the match.

The Eagles clarified that the 30-year-old midfielder’s absence was due to muscle overload in his left thigh, a physical issue that led the coaching staff not to take any risks so early in the season. As a result, Aursnes became the only player who had been at the World Cup not to make the squad for the European clash.

The Eagles’ number 8 had returned to training last Sunday, together with compatriot Andreas Schjelderup, raising expectations that he could immediately return to Marco Silva’s options. However, the physical limitations detected in recent days ended up changing the coaching staff’s plans.

Unlike Aursnes, the others were included, including new signing Jhon Durán, who made the squad after being left out of the first leg played in Switzerland.

Marco Silva hopes to have one of the squad’s most influential players available again as soon as possible, at a time when Benfica are looking to build competitive rhythm and continue fighting for the season’s objectives.

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