Sporting to face Roma without seven, injuries no excuse | OneFootball

The Sporting's women's football team kicks off its European journey to the Champions League this Thursday, September 11, at 7:30 pm, against Roma. A maximum demand challenge for Micael Sequeira, who has seven footballers out due to injury.

Brittany Raphino, Ria Bose, Andreia Bravo, Miri O’Donnell, Anna Wellmann, Samara Lino, and Tânia Rodrigues are confirmed absences: "It's always negative not to be able to count on everyone. We have significant absences, but also many players in a good moment who can compensate for these losses. It can't serve as an excuse: we're going to cling to those who are present and go to the fight," he told the media of the Alvalade Club, after praising the opposing team.

"Roma, like us, has made many changes and has become much stronger than last season. It's a team with excellent individuals, who mix experience and youth, changed its style of play and today presents itself very offensive, capable of varying from 5-4-1 to 3-4-3", he highlighted.

The coach highlighted the careful planning that was done for 2025/26: "The squad was built with great care and consideration, strengthening key positions. I'm very pleased with the players who arrived and those who remain. We will be more mature at certain times and add youth and desire when necessary. We want a balanced team, which knows how to defend and wait, but also press and counter-attack when it has to do it", he explained.

Micael Sequeira also emphasized that the integration of the new faces has been positive: "A new team always takes more time to be built. It would be easy to believe that by the first game we would already be at the maximum, but it's not like that. However, I believe that we are at a good level to compete and I am very satisfied with the way everyone has fit in", stressed the coach who saw a player head to Vitória de Guimarães.

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