Major changes expected from Marco Silva for Benfica - Hearts | OneFootball

Benfica host Hearts this Thursday in the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Europa League - you can check the match information here - , and Marco Silva is expected to field a different starting eleven from the one that thrashed St. Gallen. With the schedule getting increasingly tight and the need to manage the squad, the Benfica coach is preparing several changes for the match at the Luz.

According to Record, the main new feature should be the inclusion of Gianluca Prestianni, who is finally available to play an official match this season. After serving the two-match suspension he carried over from last season, the Argentine winger is preparing to start for the first time in 2026/27, in a move that could bring new dynamism to the Eagles' attack.

In addition to the 20-year-old, Tomás Araújo is expected to return to the starting eleven to fill the spot left by António Silva, who has since been transferred to Bournemouth. However, the Portugal international may not be the only new face in the starting team, as Richard Ríos and Andreas Schjelderup are also among the players who could earn a place in Marco Silva's selection.

At the pre-match press conference, Marco Silva admitted that some players had improved significantly from a physical standpoint since the clash against St. Gallen. "It is only logical to confirm that some players have improved physically. They had only four training sessions before the last game and have since had another week of work. They are better. Whether they will start the game or not, that will be a decision we will make," explained the Benfica coach.

From this point on, Benfica will enter a run of matches every three days, a factor that requires careful squad management. The use of fresher players and the gradual integration of those who returned later from the summer break are part of the strategy defined by Marco Silva, who wants to keep the team competitive on all fronts right from the official start of the season.

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