Rui Borges: two out, key player may return for Sporting | OneFootball

Rui Borges was present at the press conference previewing the clash between Sporting and AFS SAD in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup. The coach confirmed the absences of Fotis Ioannidis and Zeno Debast and admitted he might call up Nuno Santos, who returned to the pitch in the B team's victory.

It should be recalled that in the second half of the match against Oliveirense, the highlight came in the 64th minute, marked by the winger coming on to replace Mauro Couto, receiving a big round of applause from the stands. The winger had not played since October 26, 2024 (See HERE).

"Fotis Ioannidis and Zeno Debast are out. Nuno Santos could be included in the squad," the coach began by saying, who was asked whether, after such a positive run and ahead of an important match, it was necessary to sound the alarm for the game against the bottom team in the league.

"I don't need to sound the alarm. We had already warned, I've mentioned on other occasions that the second half of the season would be tougher. They will approach the game with that difficulty in mind, there’s no other way, it’s about understanding that things will get harder. We have to show that we’re switched on, and the team is aware of the challenges."

Rui Borges wants a team focused on victory: "The motivation will be extra for AVS. The team is aware that this will happen, regardless of the opponent and their position in the table. The last few months will be quite intense, and the team must maintain the ambition it has shown."

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