Rui Borges faces selection headache ahead of Benfica v Sporting | OneFootball

Fotis Ioannidis is a confirmed absence for the second circular derby. The Greek forward remains injured and, therefore, will not be available for Rui Borges' offensive options for the clash with Benfica. The number 89 will not recover in time to help Sporting.

Despite working intensely to be fit to appear at Estádio da Luz, the Greek international will indeed miss the match, complicating Rui Borges' situation, who is left with only Luis Suárez and Rodrigo Ribeiro as options.

According to reports from the newspaper A Bola, the footballer was committed to recovering in time for the game; however, even after giving up rest days to undergo treatment, Ioannidis will not be fit. The same source explains that the player still feels some discomfort at the injury site.

Thus, Sporting's Performance Unit completely rules out the forward's presence in the derby against José Mourinho's team, confirming the prediction Rui Borges made at the end of the match against Estrela Amadora last Sunday, November 30: “It will be very, very difficult to recover.”

While the Alvalade rival is dealing with a significant absence in the squad, on Benfica's side, José Mourinho rejoices with the return of Richard Ríos. It is worth remembering that the Colombian international missed the match against Nacional, as he was serving a suspension.

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