Heads up, Mourinho! Alverca’s headache turns into a nightmare at Benfica | OneFootball

Alverca prepares for the clash with Benfica with two important absences. However, it has been determined that one of the absences in question has become a major headache for Custódio Castro, as it will leave the Ribatejo team weakened for a long period of time.

According to the newspaper A Bola, Alverca already knew they could not count on Sabit Abdulai for the trip to the home of the "encarnados"; however, the same source explains that the Ribatejo technical team was not expecting the fact that the Ghanaian player would be sidelined for a long period of time.

The same source reports that Abdulai's injury, suffered in the early minutes of the match against Estrela da Amadora, is more serious than initially expected, and with this in mind, the Ribatejo club is considering the possibility of the Ghanaian midfielder undergoing surgery. If this scenario unfolds, his absence will be more prolonged.

However, the problems for Custódio do not end with Sabit Abdulai. The same source explains that the Portuguese coach also has Diarra and Tiago Mendes in the Ribatejo medical department, creating uncertainty about their availability for the trip to Estádio da Luz. Sandro Lima, on the other hand, remains limited.

As for André Gomes, Alverca already knows they will not be able to count on the young goalkeeper, as he is on loan from Benfica and, according to league regulations, loaned players cannot face the teams to which they are contractually linked.

On the "encarnados" side, José Mourinho continues to deal with some important absences, notably Richard Ríos. On the other hand, the Special One already has Dodi Lukebakio at his disposal, but it is unlikely that the number 11 will be included in the Benfica squad for the game this Sunday, February 8, against Alverca.

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