Exclusive: Mourinho has a plan for Benfica absences | OneFootball

José Mourinho will make use of Benfica’s youth academy to address some of the problems regarding the physical condition of the Eagles’ squad. Our newspaper reveals, in an Exclusive Glorioso 1904, that the Portuguese coach sees the youth ranks as a solution, at least until the January transfer window.

Benfica started the 2025/26 season early, due to the Champions League qualifying rounds, and with virtually no pre-season, because of their participation in the Club World Cup. The Eagles have played a huge number of matches in the two months of competition so far and the team’s physical condition, as well as freshness, is a cause for concern at the Estádio da Luz.

Adding to these obstacles, José Mourinho has also had to deal with several injuries in the squad, which have prevented the team from reaching its full potential. Midfielder Manu Silva and winger Bruma are two of the names unavailable to contribute to the team, due to serious injuries from which they are still recovering.

In this context, José Mourinho is considering taking advantage of Benfica’s youth academy to address some problems that may arise in the first team squad. It’s worth remembering that some names, such as João Veloso, João Rego, and Leandro Santos, took part in pre-season with the senior team and are in line for a call-up to the A team.

The Benfica coach touched on the subject, recalling the substitutes he has at his disposal after the defeat to Chelsea: “Having a super young bench also has its beauties, its challenges. All great players, at a certain point, were young.”

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