Lenglet gives Marco Silva a headache, Benfica ready for Vitória SC | OneFootball

Clément Lenglet dealt an important blow to Marco Silva after being sent off in the Clássico against FC Porto. The French defender will miss Benfica’s next league match and forces the coach to reshuffle his centre-back pairing for the game against Vitória SC.

Lenglet received his second yellow card while the match at the Estádio do Dragão was still in the first half, leaving the Eagles down to ten men for much of the game. The suspension will be enforced by the Disciplinary Board of the Portuguese Football Federation, ruling the centre-back out of the next league fixture.

In the absence of the French international, Marco Silva is expected to go with Tomás Araújo and Alessandro Circati in central defence for Benfica vs Vitória SC. The pairing has already been used previously by the coaching staff, namely in the match against AC Milan. Tomás Araújo and Circati also played together for part of the Clássico, after the Australian defender came on following Lenglet’s dismissal.

The option is therefore gaining strength for the Eagles’ next challenge, with Marco Silva able to keep a pairing that already has minutes together and knows the demands of the system used by the team. Gabriel Índio is another alternative available to the Benfica coach, and a youngster from the B team could also be called up if needed.

The possibility of Manu Silva being adapted to a central defensive role has not been completely ruled out, but at this stage it is considered unlikely. With Lenglet suspended, Marco Silva will therefore have to find a new solution for the heart of the defence, with Tomás Araújo and Alessandro Circati the main candidates to start against Vitória SC.

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