Injuries, Farioli jibes and title: all Rui Borges said before AFS-Sporting | OneFootball

At the press conference previewing the match against AFS, Rui Borges addressed the seriousness of Morten Hjulmand’s injury, which could rule him out for the rest of the season, confirmed the absences of Gonçalo Inácio, Iván Fresneda and João Simões, while also responding to the jabs from Porto coach Francesco Farioli.

"It’s a stadium where we dropped points last season. We had that difficulty, which we also had in the Portuguese Cup at home, and that shows what AVS SAD are capable of. They’ve improved a lot in the second half of the season, even defensively. They are a very competitive team and the fact they are already relegated takes the pressure off them. They’re going up against a big team, the current national champions. They’ll be highly motivated and have nothing to lose, which makes them even more eager to show their true individual and collective value. A difficult match awaits us".

"We understood how serious the injury was right away, so much so that he was supposed to come off at half-time and the coach was stubborn. His foot was in a bad state and we will possibly not have Morten again until the end of the season. There is that risk, unfortunately. It was not a very pretty challenge, but we have to move on and think about the match against AVS SAD".

Whether he believes he has a squad capable of fighting for the top places

"We’ve shown that at various moments throughout the season. The whole squad has responded and given confidence to the coaching staff. Everyone matters, everyone is available and wants a chance to play. We’ve already won without Morten and without other players. Mathematically, the title is still possible and that’s what we are focused on. My level of hope? A lot".

Hidemasa Morita

"He is an extremely important player. Before coming to Sporting, I had already said I was a fan of his qualities. Now that I’m here, I’m an even bigger fan. A contract renewal doesn’t just depend on the Club and the coach, it also depends on the player. There are several parties involved. Of course we would like to keep counting on him, but sometimes things are not possible for one reason or another, because no agreement is reached. Players may want other challenges and we have to understand all that when the time comes. We count on him and believe in him a lot, everyone is fond of him and he has above-average quality. May he keep going like this until the end of the season and then we’ll see".

Statements from the Porto coach

"I didn’t see or read them. I’m concerned about AVS SAD. I’m not playing Porto again. Fortunately, I’m at a club where they give me the freedom to always say what I want. At others, maybe they just repeat what they’re told. Not me, I always say what I want. My freedom of speech has to do with what I think and feel. I don’t waste time on things that make no sense to me. I’m focused on AVS SAD and I’m not going to comment on statements from a coach of a team I’ve already played against. Naturally, they spend a lot of time worrying about Sporting. It’s a good sign, a sign that Sporting really are a big club".

Gonçalo Inácio

"He’ll be out for two or three weeks. He’s out for tomorrow’s match and the next ones".

Clássico

"There is selective memory. I could talk about the match at Alvalade when Alberto could have been sent off and about several other things. There are mistakes in every match on every side and I’m focused on AVS SAD. We reached the Portuguese Cup final, which was our objective, and we have to be happy about that".

Geovany Quenda

"He played a great match against Porto. He is coming back from injury, from a few months out, and we have to understand how we need to manage his condition. He responded in line with his level. He is a very important player. May he help us a lot in this final stretch, he is another great option for our attack".

The team’s motivation

"It’s the image of this group. It’s a team that always shows this ambition, that always wants to win. It understands that at some moments things won’t go well, that’s part of it, but it has a different mentality. They are national champions, which says a lot about the human and sporting quality of all of them. I’m immensely proud of my team and they showed that ambition at the Dragão. Tomorrow I believe they will once again give a great response".

Torreense (opponent in the Portuguese Cup final)

"I’m happy for Torreense. I’ve been on the other side before, with lower-division teams, and I know very well how much people dream of this. May it be a beautiful final against a team that is having a great season. With the weapons they have, they will make things as difficult as possible for us. It will be a difficult match against a highly motivated team".

Fotis Ioannidis

"He is recovering and working on the pitch, but not with the team. He is going through the stages he has to go through. He is better and I believe he will still help the team before the end of the season".

Medical bulletin

"There are also Iván Fresneda and João Simões, who are unavailable for the match".

Final stretch of the season

"The workload has been huge because of all the setbacks we’ve had. The injuries have taken away many opportunities for us to manage things and have overloaded some players. The motivation is there, they want to finish the season in the best possible way and fight for what is still possible. We have to do our part, there’s no point thinking about the rest. We are motivated because we are in the Portuguese Cup final. There is fatigue, we can’t deny that, and it is noticeable in some players, but the motivation to play and to help has been greater than that overload. I believe that’s what will carry them through this difficult period".

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