Benfica, be warned! Schjelderup and Aursnes give Marco Silva a headache | OneFootball

Benfica continue their preparations for the start of the 2026/27 season, but Marco Silva has received news that complicates the picture for the first official matches. The Eagles will be in action as early as 23 July, against St. Gallen, in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, and the Benfica coach will have to find alternatives in midfield and attack.

The reason concerns Fredrik Aursnes and Andreas Schjelderup, who will not be available for the European tie. Both extended their participation in the World Cup with Norway, after the surprising 2-1 win over Brazil, a result that secured the Nordic side’s qualification for the quarter-finals, where they will face England.

Even if Norway are eliminated at that stage of the competition, the two will still be entitled to the usual holiday period. After that break, the Norwegians will also have to go through a reintegration process at Benfica Campus before returning to Marco Silva’s options.

The absence of the two internationals is an additional headache for the Benfica coach, who continues to prepare the team for a demanding start to the season. Qualification for the Europa League league phase is one of the first major objectives of the campaign and requires Benfica to be at full strength from the very first weeks.

As such, Marco Silva will have to look for new solutions against St. Gallen while he waits for the return of Aursnes and Schjelderup. Until then, other players in the squad will have the chance to earn their place and convince the coach at a decisive stage of Benfica’s preparations.

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