He has just 36 minutes for Benfica and could start against Milan | OneFootball

Alessandro Circati could be one of Marco Silva’s surprises in Benfica’s starting XIfor the clash with Milan. The Australian defender has played just 36 minutes since arriving at the Luz, but Alexander Bah’s absence has opened up an unexpected possibility for the Australian international to be thrown straight into the starting lineup at San Siro.

Bah had been one of the positive pieces of news from the last training session on Portuguese soil, having trained with the group and without limitations, around a week and a half after the injury to his right shoulder suffered against Marítimo. However, the full-back ultimately did not travel to Milan, in a decision by the coaching staff that will also have taken into account the proximity of the clássico against FC Porto, scheduled for Sunday.

he is the only natural right-back in the squad and started the last two matches, against Moreirense and Gil Vicente. Despite the positive signs shown, Marco Silva may opt for a more conservative solution against Milan.

This is where Circati comes in. Of the 36 minutes the Australian has already played for Benfica, 29 came precisely at right-back, in the match against Marítimo. At the time, the defender came on in the second half, at a stage when the Eagles were looking for greater defensive security, after Kaminski had replaced Bah in the 16th minute. The information was reported by A Bola.

. The Portugal international has already performed that role on several occasions for the first team, including in the second half of the 2024/25 season, precisely after an injury to Bah.

Marco Silva may use the trip to Milan to manage the physical condition of some regular starters. Prestianni, for example, finished the match against Gil Vicente visibly exhausted.

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