Rui Borges picks 19-year-old midfielder to replace Hjulmand at AFS | OneFootball

Sporting may once again turn to its academy to address an important absence in the squad. With Morten Hjulmand possibly out for the remainder of the season, Eduardo Felicíssimo has emerged as one of the options to strengthen the Lions’ midfield as early as the upcoming fixtures.

The 19-year-old midfielder has been training regularly with the first team under Rui Borges and could even be included in the squad for the match against AFS SAD, moving ever closer to an official debut.

Although he has yet to play any minutes for the senior team this season, Eduardo Felicíssimo has already been included in Champions League squads against PSG and Bayern Munich. For the B team, he has been an important player for João Gião, which further boosts the first-team structure’s confidence in his potential.

With limited options in midfield — Morita, Daniel Bragança and Kochorashvili are the only available solutions — the youngster developed in Alcochete is gaining momentum as a natural alternative, in a similar vein to the club’s recent trust in other talents from the green-and-white academy.

This season, Eduardo Felicíssimo — valued at €2 million — has split his time between Sporting’s under-19s and B team. Across 31 official matches played in Liga Portugal 2 and the UEFA Youth League, the midfielder has totalled 1,290 minutes, with three assists to his name.

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