Alisson Santos has reasons to smile ahead of Paços de Ferreira v Sporting | OneFootball

Alisson Santos is expected to start for Sporting in the match this Saturday, October 18, against Paços de Ferreira, corresponding to the third round of the Portuguese Cup. The national press presents the probable lineups for the Lions for the trip to the furniture capital, and the Brazilian is one of the main highlights.

Both Record and A Bola point to the return of Ousmane Diomande, with João Virginia in goal, and Eduardo Quaresma and Ivan Fresneda also seen as consensus picks. At left-back, the absence of Maxi Araújo from the green-and-white squad suggests a start for Ricardo Mangas, though the situation remains open.

Sporting’s midfield also seems settled — Hidemasa Morita, who did not join the national team, should line up alongside João Simões, a starter this season with Napoli. Rui Borges is expected to manage Morten Hjulmand and Kochorashvili, who endured heavier workloads during the international break.

In attack, only two names seem assured of a place in Rui Borges’ eleven: Pedro Gonçalves and Fotis Ioannidis. The Portugal international did not play any minutes for the national team, and the Greek forward has another chance to start for Sporting.

Alisson Santos, who has been becoming increasingly important for Rui Borges, is also expected to be named in the starting XI. The remaining spot in Sporting’s lineup should be contested between Geny Catamo and Francisco Trincão — the winger also played few minutes with the national team, but could be managed, with the midweek Champions League game being an important factor in the equation.

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