Sudakov’s Benfica mystery set to be revealed soon | OneFootball

The mystery surrounding whether or not Georgiy Sudakov will play in the Benfica – Santa Clara match will be unveiled on Friday night, but it seems the midfielder will not be starting for the Eagles. Bruno Lage's choice, for now, is likely to fall on Franjo Ivanovic, who will play in support of Vangelis Pavlidis.

After the player's house in Ukraine was destroyed following a Russian attack, Georgiy Sudakov shone for his national team, scoring a goal against Azerbaijan. However, the 22-year-old athlete has just arrived at Benfica, is physically worn out, and Bruno Lage does not want to rush his adaptation.

“We had the opportunity to speak with the player, it's a lamentable and sad situation, but I see him overcoming it. The most important thing is that his family is safe. He is happy to be with us,” Bruno Lage began, in the preview of the Benfica - Santa Clara match, when asked about Sudakov's complicated situation.

Regarding the possibility of Sudakov being used, Bruno Lage kept his cards close to his chest: “He is still in recovery mode, having played both matches for the national team and due to the travel, but he had his first brief contact with his teammates. He can play in various positions: second midfielder, behind the forward, and for the national team, he has played on the wings. Players who offer us more than one quality position like his are very welcome.”

The Benfica – Santa Clara match is scheduled for September 12, at 8:15 PM, at Estádio da Luz, and pertains to the fifth round of the Liga Portugal Betclic. Bruno Lage's team occupies the fourth place in the National Championship, with nine points in three matches. Porto is first (12 points in four matches), Famalicão second (10 points in four games), and Sporting third (nine points in four matches).

Check out Bruno Lage's statements about Sudakov's adaptation to Benfica:

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