Gianluca Prestianni faces uphill battle to make his mark at Benfica | OneFootball

Gianluca Prestianni has been called up to represent Argentina in the Under-20 World Cup, which takes place from September 27 to October 20. As a result, the young 19-year-old winger will be absent from the squad led by José Mourinho for several weeks, which could complicate his breakthrough with the Eagles.

“Prestianni is going to the Under-20 World Cup. It’s important for him and important for Benfica as well. It’s a position where we have more options. Forcing him to stay and giving him few minutes wouldn’t be fair; everyone likes to go to the national team, and South Americans, with their culture, even more so. That’s why he’s going to the Under-20 World Cup,” revealed José Mourinho, in the preview of the Benfica – Gil Vicente match.

Argentina is included in Group D, along with Cuba (September 29, at 00:00), Australia (October 2, at 00:00), and Italy (October 5, at 00:00). In this stage of the competition, the top two teams and the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16.

Gianluca Prestianni arrived at Benfica in January 2024 and has not had an easy time at the Estádio da Luz. Despite being recognized for his enormous potential, the winger has not had many opportunities under Bruno Lage and has struggled to establish himself with the Sacred Mantle, even being considered for a possible exit.

This season, wearing the Benfica shirt, Gianluca Prestianni – valued at 8 million euros – has played nine matches: five in Liga Portugal Betclic, three in the Champions League, and one in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. In the 200 minutes he has spent on the pitch, the winger scored one goal (against Tondela).

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