Nuno Santos warns about Sporting return: They’ll have to... | OneFootball

Sporting defeated AFS 3-2 on Thursday night, in a match corresponding to the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup, securing a place in the semi-finals of the competition. The victory was also marked by the return of Nuno Santos to the main squad, more than 460 days later, a moment he made sure to highlight.

Less than 24 hours after returning to play for the main team, Nuno Santos took to social media to mark the occasion. “Very happy to be back doing what I love most, playing football. We all dream of these moments, and after all these years in my career, it felt like it was my first game, as if it were my professional debut. You’ll have to put up with me for many more years, hungry to score, assist, help the team, and help Sporting win titles,” wrote the number 11 in a post on Instagram, which drew reactions from current and former teammates.

In the same message, the player highlighted the personal impact of the recovery process: “These phases of my life only make me stronger, more of a man, and above all I’m happy that my children, my wife, my family, my friends saw me overcome this injury like a warrior, full of resilience and determination. Thank you all for your support during this almost year and a half, you were all very important for me to come back stronger than ever.”

Recall that Nuno Santos suffered a patellar tendon injury in his left knee on October 26, 2024, in the victory against Famalicão (3-0). After more than 460 days away from the pitch, he returned to competition on February 1, in Sporting B’s win over Oliveirense (2-0).

Nuno Santos – valued at 5 million euros – joined Sporting in 2020, coming from Rio Ave, for 4.15 million euros (according to Transfermarkt). Since then, the 30-year-old winger has played 197 matches, scored 34 goals, provided 42 assists, and won seven titles (three National Championships, one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, one Portuguese Cup, and two League Cups).

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