Who will replace Lukebakio at Benfica? Mourinho weighs options | OneFootball

Andreas Schjelderup and Ivan Lima seem to be the front runners to replace the injured Lukébakio. The Belgian winger from Benfica has a fractured ankle and will undergo surgery, which means a break of three to six months for the player who has been a regular under José Mourinho.

This injury not only means losing an important player for a long period, but it also leaves the Benfica squad deprived of vertical players in the winger position, capable of a high success rate in individual duels. José Mourinho has used Lukébakio in this role since he arrived at the team.

The natural replacement for Lukébakio seems to be Andreas Schjelderup. The Norwegian at Benfica is the player most prepared for the high competitive level of the team, and has already shown positive signs this season. However, the player is involved in a legal controversy, and has even been linked to a departure from Luz in the January market.

José Mourinho, however, has been very attentive to Benfica's youth development, attending youth team games and interacting with players from the club's youth ranks. So far, this investment has only resulted in a few minutes for Ivan Lima in the Portuguese Cup, but the Eagles' winger seems to be the best positioned to make the leap to the first team.

Furthermore, the newspaper Record highlights other options in Benfica's youth system that could serve José Mourinho's interests. Thus, Olívio Tomé, who has represented the B team and the under-23s, Francisco Neto, who has played for the same teams, and Eduardo Fernandes, who has shone in the current edition of the UEFA Youth League, are pointed out for a possible debut in the first team.

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