Rui Borges springs a surprise and finds Sporting's new left-back | OneFootball

Iván Fresneda is the leading candidate to fill the left side of Sporting’s defense in the opening Liga matchday against Estrela da Amadora. Maxi Araújo is suspended, and Rui Borges will have to find an alternative solution for the game scheduled for August 8.

According to newspaper A Bola, the Spaniard is currently the player who offers the strongest guarantees of playing on the opposite side to the one he usually plays on. The progress he has shown since arriving at Alvalade and the trust he has earned from the coaching staff put him at the front of the race.

Georgios Vagiannidis was also considered for the position, but the experiment carried out last season did not leave good signs. The Greek international struggled when he was used on the left in Sporting’s 3-0 defeat to Bodø/Glimt.

Geny Catamo is another possibility, although with more attacking traits and fewer guarantees in defensive balance. Rodrigo Dias has also been working with the first team squad, but he is lower down in the hierarchy defined by Rui Borges.

Sporting remain in the market in search of a left-back to compete with Maxi Araújo. Even so, even if the new signing arrives in the coming days, Fresneda is expected to remain the main candidate for a starting spot, and could be tested in that position in Friday’s friendly against Nottingham Forest.

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