Rui Borges already has a favourite to replace Maxi Araújo at Sporting | OneFootball

Sporting remain attentive to Maxi Araújo’s situation ahead of the trip to Braga, scheduled for October 9. The full-back is away on international duty with Uruguay and is only expected to return to training on the eve of the match, a scenario that is forcing Rui Borges to prepare alternatives for the left flank.

According to Record, Rodrigo Dias is in the running for a place in the starting eleven. The 21-year-old has regularly trained with Sporting’s first team and has already been used this season.

Rodrigo Dias actually started in the opening Liga match against Estrela da Amadora, a game that ended in a 2-2 draw. Since then, he has remained close to Rui Borges’ options and will also benefit from being in better physical condition than Zekri.

The Moroccan full-back, signed from Mechelen, has yet to make his official debut for Sporting and is still following a specific physical conditioning plan in Alcochete. His lack of match sharpness and familiarity with his teammates currently places him behind Rodrigo Dias in the pecking order as a possible replacement for Maxi Araújo.

The concern is linked to the demanding schedule of the Uruguayan international. Maxi is part of the national team’s Asian tour, which has already faced Japan and still has matches against South Korea and India, with the final fixture taking place on October 6.

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