It’s now clear why Daniel Banjaqui missed Benfica - Alverca | OneFootball

Daniel Banjaqui was well on track to repeat his starting position against Alverca. However, as has been determined, flu symptoms kept the number 56 out of the match squad, in a game that Benfica won against the Ribatejo side (2-1). Given this situation, José Mourinho had to improvise.

According to the newspaper Record, Banjaqui was supposed to start for the Eagles, after José Mourinho confirmed that Amar Dedić would not play, due to the ongoing management of his physical condition, which has been quite worn out.

Furthermore, as the sports daily points out, Banjaqui – a U-17 World Champion – started in the previous match against Tondela and, midweek, played for the junior team, which eliminated Slavia Prague from the UEFA Youth League. It is worth noting that this particular match was played under heavy rain, which may explain the player's flu symptoms.

However, with Banjaqui's absence, José Mourinho ended up improvising and deployed Sidny Cabral on the right side of defense, taking advantage of the Cape Verdean footballer’s versatility. Benfica had to work hard to beat Alverca, but goals from Andreas Schjelderup and Anísio Cabral proved enough to secure another three points.

This season, playing for Benfica, Daniel Banjaqui – valued at 1 million euros – has already played a total of 19 official matches: eight in Liga Portugal Meu Super, three in the UEFA Youth League, three in Liga Revelação, two in Liga Portugal Betclic, and one in the Taça de Portugal. In the 1,139 minutes he has spent on the pitch, the full-back has recorded one goal and one assist.

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