More bad news for Marco Silva: first-choice doubt for Benfica - Hearts | OneFootball

Marco Silva may once again be without Fredrik Aursnes for the European clash against Hearts. The Norway international is still recovering from a muscle overload and remains doubtful for the first leg of the Europa League third qualifying round, scheduled for Thursday at the Estádio da Luz. The 30-year-old midfielder had already missed the decisive match against St. Gallen due to the same physical issue.

At this stage, Aursnes is still being closely monitored by the Benfica medical department, which, together with the player, will assess the progress of his condition on a daily basis before a decision is made on a possible call-up. If he does not recover in time, the Norway international will see his official debut under Marco Silva delayed once again. The information was reported by Record.

It should be remembered that Aursnes returned later to training at Seixal, after representing Norway at the World Cup. The Nordic side reached the quarter-finals of the competition, eventually being eliminated by England after extra time (2-1).

During the tournament, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the number 8 featured in all six of Norway’s matches, starting three of them and totaling 302 minutes on the pitch, a factor that contributed to the physical wear he showed upon returning to Benfica.

Since arriving at the Luz from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022, Aursnes has established himself as one of the most important players in Benfica’s squad, standing out for his versatility and consistency. Last season, the Norway international played in 49 official matches, scoring four goals and providing eight assists. Marco Silva still sees him as one of the team’s key players, but for now he will have to wait for the player’s full recovery.

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