While Samu battles to play at Alvalade, De Jong set to lead the line | OneFootball

On Monday, while accelerating to pressure a defender from Gil Vicente – something he intensely commits to in every game – the Spanish international felt a pain in his leg and asked for immediate assistance. The possibility of returning to the game was immediately ruled out upon first examination, and Samu's frustration was evident: he cried on the bench, supported by his friend Rodrigo Mora. As time passed, the forward calmed down and, on that Tuesday morning, there was some optimism around the player until the MRI was performed. The examination revealed a small muscle tear, putting Samu at risk of only returning to compete after the international break, which occurs after the visit to Alvalade.

The possibility of being an option on the fourth matchday, even if only on the bench, is not entirely ruled out for two reasons. Determined, Samu immediately committed to treatment, which began on Tuesday. Depending on the discipline, patience, and commitment of the player – in a race against time that also involves the medical department – everything will be done to accelerate recovery. In parallel, the dragons hope that this is one of those cases where regeneration occurs more quickly than the initial prognosis indicates.

The same type of injury can have different impacts depending on the athlete, and Samu's history is favorable: he is 21 years old and, at the start of his fourth senior-level season, this is his first minimally significant muscle injury. Even so, FC Porto will not take unnecessary risks that could prolong his absence, so the reception to Nacional, on September 14, continues to be the most probable date for Samu's return, who would most likely be called up by the Spanish national team.

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