Zalazar faces surprise competition? 4 mins for Sporting, but a trump card | OneFootball

Pedro Lima may be close to taking on a bigger role at Sporting. Signed from AVS in the last summer transfer window for around €4 million, the midfielder had very limited playing time at the start of the season, but he has been using the international break to impress Rui Borges.

The Brazilian has so far made only brief appearances, coming on in the 88th minute of the 3-1 win over Alverca and in the 86th minute of the 2-2 draw with Arouca. The absence of several international players has, however, given him the chance to work more closely with the Sporting coach.

With Issa Doumbia away on duty with Italy’s senior national team, and Silas Andersen called up to Denmark’s under-21s, Pedro Lima has benefited from greater attention in training at Alcochete. João Simões is also still working to regain full fitness after a long layoff, leaving even more room for the new signing to show what he can offer.

Rui Borges’ faith in the midfielder remains intact and was evident in the friendly against Atlético, which ended in a 1-0 win for Sporting. Pedro Lima started and played in a more advanced role, behind Bidu, just ahead of Mateo Tanlongo and João Simões.

The Uruguayan is away with his national team, and Pedro Lima took the opportunity to provide positive signs, showing that he is becoming increasingly attuned to the team’s dynamics.

An increase in playing time could become even more likely because of the schedule awaiting Sporting. The Lions return to competition against Braga on October 9, followed by a very demanding run of domestic and European matches with virtually no rest.

After the trip to Pedreira, . The high concentration of matches will force the coach to rotate players and find alternatives within the squad.

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