Breaking news! Benfica starlet left out of squad to face Juventus | OneFootball

Benfica traveled this Tuesday to Turin, Italy, where on Wednesday they will face Juventus in the seventh and penultimate matchday of the Champions League group stage. José Mourinho did not call up Henrique Araújo, the 24-year-old striker.

The Madeiran forward has lost his place in the Portuguese coach's options over the course of the season. The last minutes he played with the Sacred Mantle were in the 2-0 victory against Atlético, in the Portuguese Cup. In that match, the forward played only 12 minutes, confirming his secondary status in the attacking hierarchy defined by the "Special One".

Henrique Araújo is indeed set to leave Benfica in this January transfer window. Vitória de Guimarães appears as a very strong possibility. The Minho club has shown real interest in securing the player to strengthen their attack. The possibility of continuing to play in Liga Portugal Betclic is appealing, allowing him to maintain a competitive level in an ambitious team fighting in the standings.

In the current season, Henrique Araújo — valued at 2 million euros — has played only 12 official matches: five in Liga Portugal Betclic, four in the Champions League, one in the Super Cup, one in the Portuguese Cup, and another in the Second League. In the 135 minutes he was on the pitch, the forward did not score or assist any goals.

Samuel Soares, Alexander Bah, Joshua Wynder, Nuno Félix, João Veloso, Richard Ríos and Dodi Lukebakio are injured, and Sidny Cabral, who is not registered with UEFA, will also not be available.

Check out Benfica's squad list:

Defenders: Amar Dedic, Samuel Dahl, Daniel Banjaqui, José Neto, Nicolás Otamendi, Tomás Araújo, António Silva, Rui Silva, and Gonçalo Oliveira

Midfielders: Fredrik Aursnes, Enzo Barrenechea, Leandro Barreiro, Manu Silva, João Rego, Diogo Prioste, and Georgiy Sudakov

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