Flávio Gonçalves flying at Sporting, but Luís Freire schools him in U21s | OneFootball

Flávio Gonçalves was called up to the Under-21s for the first time after a very positive start to the season at Sporting, but Luís Freirechose to leave him on the bench for the clash against Bulgaria. The decision draws particular attention given the current form of the Sporting winger, who made his debut at this level with this call-up.

The 19-year-old has been one of the surprises in Rui Borges’ side, with three goals and one assist in seven matches for Sporting. Before the game, Luís Freire himself highlighted the youngster’s development and the greater role he has been taking on in the Sporting team.

Even so, in the first match of this international window, the coach decided not to start Flávio. The winger is therefore an option on the bench and could come on during the match, as part of a team looking to secure qualification for the 2027 European Championship as soon as possible.

Portugal go into this match top of Group B with 19 points from seven games, five more than the Czech Republic. After the trip to Bulgaria, Luís Freire’s team will still face Gibraltar and the Czech Republic in the final two matches of the qualifying phase.

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