Aursnes to miss Benfica match… but could return for crucial clash | OneFootball

Fredrik Aursnes was injured in Benfica's last training session before the trip to the Azores. The Norwegian international is out for the match against Santa Clara due to a muscle problem, but the Eagles believe he will be fit for the home game against Real Madrid, scheduled for next Tuesday.

The information is reported by the newspaper Record. The absence is an unexpected heavy blow for José Mourinho, as the Norwegian midfielder rarely gets injured. The last time this happened was at the end of last season, with the experienced midfielder sidelining the team after also suffering a muscle problem during a training session in Seixal.

The Nordic player has been partnering with Leandro Barreiro in midfield, a position he returned to after being used in various positions at Luz. This season, however, he has mostly played as a right-wing midfielder, standing out for his good understanding with Amar Dedic on that side of the field. The chosen one to replace Aursnes is Enzo Barrenechea.

The number "8" will miss the trip to the Azores this Friday but could be present against the "merengues" in the first leg of the Champions League playoff. It was Aursnes who assisted Anatoliy Trubin's header goal against Real Madrid in the last round of the league phase of the prestigious competition.

This season, wearing Benfica's jersey, Fredrik Aursnes - valued at 17 million euros - has already played a total of 40 official matches: 21 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 12 in the Champions League, four in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup, and one in the Super Cup. In the 3,420 minutes he was on the pitch, the midfielder recorded four goals and seven assists.

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