Injury return, market and Suárez; Rui Borges before Rio Ave v Sporting | OneFootball

Sporting travel to Rio Ave this Friday at 8:15pm for their fourth-round Liga Portugal match, with Rui Borges previewing the game. The coach spoke to journalists at a press conference held at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy, where he addressed the main topics related to the match.

Rio Ave

"A difficult opponent. Collectively, they are a very competitive team and strong in duels. At times, they break the defensive line with the forward line. They have four players up front who are very strong in duels. They have the ability to play long balls and win the first duel. They have two wingers who are strong one-on-one and an attacking midfielder who is also very strong. In many moments of the game, they force opponents into four-against-four situations and are very aggressive and athletically powerful. The pitch is always difficult and may be, hopefully not, affected by the weather. We know the difficulties we will face tomorrow. Rio Ave will be motivated and already know their coach's dynamics. Despite those difficulties, we want to continue our growth."

"Above all, I want to wish him good luck. He behaved brilliantly while he was with me. Always exemplary day to day, very important to the group despite not being the starting goalkeeper. He always showed great commitment and work ethic. I wish him all the luck in the world. He wants to play and he deserves that, so he's right to go looking for it."

Moncef Zekri

"Despite his young age, he already has many top-flight appearances where he was playing. He has technical ability and maturity, despite his age. He comes highly motivated, understands where he is coming to, and understands that he will grow because he has one of the best left-backs in the world in his position. He is 17, but has above-average maturity, and there is a reason why he was a starter for his team."

Luis Suárez

"It's a non-issue. He is training well, focused, and has been called up for tomorrow."

Medical bulletin

"Fotis Ioannidis trained all week. He is fit and available to play. Only João Simões, Salvador Blopa and Nuno Santos are out."

Nestory Irankunda and Jesse Derry

"It has been challenging getting to know him [Nestory Irankunda] more personally. He has given good signs and I believe he will be an important player over the course of the season. Jesse Derry has also been growing in his understanding with the team and in what is required for his position. Very happy to see them grow."

Differences between Flávio Gonçalves and Nestory Irankunda

"They have different characteristics. Flávio is not a natural winger, he is more of an inside player. Nestory gives us both things. He is powerful, has acceleration, vertical play. Flávio gives us a calmer, more combination-based game."

Squad finalized?

"For now, it is finalized. Sporting players are always sought after because they are great players and have had great seasons, so it is natural that people talk about them, but for us it is closed."

Changes in the squad

"Different players, different game, different dynamics. That's football, adapting to what we want. They won't give me such a slow-paced game, but they will give me a different game. They give us, perhaps, more directness in certain moments, which maybe we did not have before. I am happy with my squad and the characteristics I have. We need time and the growth will happen."

UEFA Champions League draw

"We have to highlight three straight years in the UEFA Champions League. We have to continue this growth and maturity in keeping ourselves among the best in Europe. We want to be there and compete with the best. That has to motivate us all."

Youth of the team

"It is about understanding Sporting's project. It's not new, it has always been like this. Our average age is around 21 and a bit. It is a young team and it is about understanding the contexts they come from. We had a more mature team, but that's part of it. It's challenging, I like it. Having difficulties does not worry me, it's part of growth. We have to understand where we are, the club we represent. The project is about developing young players and remaining competitive, as we have been in recent years. If the players are here, it is because we recognize their qualities. We have to adapt them as quickly as possible to the demands of fighting for everything. Whoever gains that mentality faster will have more opportunities."

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