Rio Ave boss gives update on André Luiz ahead of Benfica clash | OneFootball

The Rio Ave coach has confirmed André Luiz’s presence for the match against Benfica, scheduled for this Saturday, January 17th. Sotiris Silaidopoulos assured that the Brazilian forward, who has been linked with the Eagles, is included in the squad.

"An hour ago he was wearing the Rio Ave training shirt. He is very motivated, doing his thing, I expect him to play and to have a good performance", confirmed the Greek coach and former Olympiacos manager, curiously the same club that is interested in signing the forward.

Sotiris Silaidopoulos addressed the Brazilian winger’s work and the interest from other clubs: "I understand that maybe he has a lot on his mind, and that’s normal when there are teams like Benfica and other clubs. But our focus has to be the team, and I am confident that the other players are truly focused".

"Tomorrow at 8:30 pm, we’ll see. You’ll see the starting eleven and know the answer", he concluded, regarding the possibility of repeating the strategy of leaving André Luiz and Clayton out of the starting lineup, which secured a draw in the first round (1-1), even though the winger scored the equalizer in the second half.

Benfica’s next match is scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2026. The match will kick off at 8:30 pm and will be played at Rio Ave Stadium (Arcos), in Vila do Conde. This clash is part of the 18th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic 2025/26.

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