Mourinho hints at return, says Benfica star keeps starting spot | OneFootball

José Mourinho did not confirm whether Amar Dedic is ready to play in the Benfica - Bayer Leverkusen match. Although he believes the full-back could be fielded, the Special One is waiting for indications from the medical department and assures that António Silva "has not lost his starting spot."

"At this moment, the players don’t know who will play; tomorrow we have training in the morning, and the advantage of playing at home helps, as we can train the day before the match. Tomorrow is when they will find out who will play. He dedicated himself a lot to his recovery, he trained with us for the first time today, and he seemed to have no limitations, but in a couple of hours, I might get more information. My feeling is that he is ready to play," he said, in the pre-match press conference.

Regarding the rotation of center-backs, the Special One denied that the Portuguese international had dropped in the hierarchy: "António has not lost his starting place at all. With three center-backs of that quality, I don’t want to make the mistake of making one feel like the third choice or that any of them feel they’ve lost some kind of race. Next Sunday, Otamendi will not play."

"On Sunday, António and Tomás will play. I have three center-backs of great quality. It’s a fantastic guarantee. They have different personalities. António is more exuberant than Tomás, but they are both fantastic players. It’s a privilege to have Nico alongside them and for them to learn from him. It’s not a problem at all," admitted José Mourinho.

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