Benfica-Sporting operation kicks off at full throttle | OneFootball

The derby is already on the horizon and Benfica begins training. After a day off — granted by José Mourinho — the Eagles start this Monday, December 1, the preparations aimed at getting ready to host Sporting, their direct rival in the fight for the title.

With a tough week behind them and a “well-deserved rest,” as the Special One mentioned in Choupana, the Benfica squad returns to the Seixal pitch with renewed spirit and the belief that the match against Nacional was a positive turning point, which could prove to be very important for the clash against Rui Borges’ side.

As the new week begins, José Mourinho already has some good news: the Reds’ coach will once again be able to count on Richard Ríos. It’s worth remembering that the Colombian international missed the match against the islanders due to disciplinary reasons, after receiving his fifth yellow card of the league against Casa Pia.

Thus, with the return of the number 20, it is more than expected that there will be new changes in the starting eleven to be presented against Sporting. Richard Ríos will once again pair up with Enzo Barrenechea, ‘forcing’ Fredrik Aursnes to move up the field, which will likely leave Leandro Barreiro or Rodrigo Rêgo on the substitutes’ bench.

For now, for the first training session of the week, José Mourinho will not be able to count on the injured Dodi Lukebakio, Bruma, Nuno Félix, and Henrique Araújo. Alexander Bah is still in the final phase of his recovery. The match between Benfica and Sporting is scheduled for this Friday, December 5, at Estádio da Luz.

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