José Mourinho makes bold move for Benfica’s immediate future | OneFootball

José Mourinho will make significant changes to Benfica’s team for the clash with Chaves, part of the third round of the Taça de Portugal. The match is scheduled for October 17 at 7:30 p.m., and the Portuguese coach intends to use the game to carry out proper workload management, in an increasingly demanding schedule for the Eagles.

José Mourinho’s plan is to promote rotation within Benfica’s squad, especially at a time when several starters have been on international duty. With a trip to Newcastle for the Champions League just four days later, the coach believes this is the ideal moment to assess some second-choice options and to bring through academy products from Seixal.

Among the expected changes is the possible debut of Samuel Soares under José Mourinho. The young goalkeeper could start against Chaves, in a match where Tomás Araújo is also expected to come in alongside António Silva at the heart of defense. The decision is linked to Otamendi’s late return from duty with the Argentine national team.

In midfield, all signs point to Diogo Prioste and João Veloso being called up. One of them should take the place of Richard Ríos, who remains with Colombia and will only return to Seixal on the eve of the game. Leandro Santos, another youngster standing out with the B team, is also well placed to earn his first official minutes with the first team this season.

Up front, Franjo Ivanovic is a strong candidate to regain a starting spot, after returning early from international duty. Andreas Schjelderup is also expected to start under Mourinho, especially after Sudakov’s injury with the Ukrainian national team. The match in Trás-os-Montes therefore promises to showcase several novelties as Benfica prepares to face an intense and decisive month of October.

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