Sudakov’s Benfica mystery set to be revealed soon | OneFootball

The mystery surrounding whether or not Georgiy Sudakov will play for Benfica against Santa Clara will be revealed on Friday night, but all indications suggest that the midfielder is unlikely to start for the Eagles. For now, Bruno Lage’s choice is expected to fall on Franjo Ivanovic, who will play in support of Vangelis Pavlidis.

After the player’s house in Ukraine was destroyed following a Russian attack, Georgiy Sudakov shone for his national team, scoring a goal against Azerbaijan. However, the 22-year-old has only just arrived at Benfica, is physically worn out, and Bruno Lage does not want to rush his adaptation.

“We had the opportunity to speak with the player; it’s a regrettable and sad situation, but I see him overcoming it. The most important thing is that his family is safe. He is happy to be with us,” Bruno Lage began, in the preview of the Benfica – Santa Clara match, when asked about Sudakov’s difficult situation.

Regarding the possibility of Sudakov being used, Bruno Lage kept his cards close to his chest: “He is still in recovery mode, having played two matches for the national team and after the trip, but he had his first brief contact with his teammates. He can play in several positions: as a second midfielder, behind the striker, and for the national team he has played on the wings. Players who can offer us more than one quality position like he can are very welcome.”

The Benfica – Santa Clara match is scheduled for September 12, at 8:15 pm, at Estádio da Luz, and is part of the fifth round of Liga Portugal Betclic. Bruno Lage’s team is in fourth place in the National Championship, with nine points from three matches. Porto is first (12 points from four games), Famalicão second (10 points from four games), and Sporting third (nine points from four matches).

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