Fernando Sá on FC Porto’s injuries: “We’ll be patient and keep working” | OneFootball

FC Porto was defeated in the first Clássico of the season against Sporting (76-82). The Dragons’ coach, Fernando Sá, believes that the outcome could have been different if the team had been at full strength, pointing to the absences of Gonçalo Delgado and Tanner Omlid, among other significant losses.

How do you evaluate this match? “The game didn’t start the way we were expecting; I’d even say we had more offensive options, with open shots and details in the percentages. We finished the first half with low percentages, and that led to situations of imbalance, which ended up giving us the disadvantage. At the moment when we were playing better, Queiroz’s injury made the team feel it, and there were players playing in positions they’re not used to. We tried to reduce the deficit, but let’s hope the players can recover so we can respond this year.”

How serious is the injury problem? “Right now, besides those who are already sidelined, we have many others playing through pain. Wes Washpun is making a lot of sacrifices, Jonathan Dunn sprained his ankle in the European game. Miguel Maria and Marko [Filipovity] have had their concerns. So, training conditions have been limited. We’ll have to be patient and keep working.”

Is Miguel Queiroz’s injury in the same shoulder as last year? “I don’t know, it seems like it is. It’s definitely not simple.”

What can Allen Flanigan, who hasn’t played yet, bring to the team? “Above all, training quality. Then, he’s a young guy, a rookie, and I hope he can bring positive things to the game. But right now, the team is really lacking players. We need players to train. Collectively, he seems very good to me, and this team needs an injection of youth and energy.”

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